Author: Haddox-JL; Pfister-RR; Slaughter-SE, Eye Research Laboratories, Brookwood Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama 35209, USA
Publication: Cornea. 1996 Mar; 15(2): 191-5
Our purpose was to determine whether chelation of Ca2+ and Mg2+ is the mechanism by which sodium citrate inhibits corneal ulceration in the alkali-injured rabbit eye. The right eyes of 60 albino rabbits (2-2.5 kg) were alkali-injured by filling a 12-mm-diameter plastic well placed on the corneal surface with 0.4 ml of 1 N NaOH. After 35 s the alkali was aspirated, and the well was rinsed with physiological saline. Animals were randomly distributed to three treatment groups of equal size. Two drops of the following topical medications were administered on the hour (14 times a day) for 35 days: physiological saline, 10% citrate in saline, and 346 mM Ca2+, 346 mM Mg2+, and 10% citrate in saline. During the experiment, significantly fewer ulcerations occurred in the citrate-treated eyes (5 of 20, 25%) than in the saline-treated eyes (15 of 20, 75%). When ulcerations did develop in the citrated group, they occurred significantly later and were less severe than those in the saline and calcium-magnesium-citrate groups. There was a significant increase in the number of eyes with signs of band keratophy and translucent areas in the calcium-magnesium-citrate group when compared with the other two groups. As in previous studies, sodium citrate significantly inhibited the development of corneal ulcers after alkali injury. The annulment of the favorable effect of citrates on ulceration in the alkali-injured eye by the addition of calcium and magnesium shows that the mechanism of action of citrate is the chelation of these divalent cation.
I just spent three hours in the ER. The trip to the ER was precipitated by my getting a mixture of bleach, Mr. Clean and water in my left eye while scrubbing the soffits of the siding on my house. Whilst in the ER, I had my eye irrigated twice with a 0.9% solution of NaCl using the Morgan Lens to facilitate the irrigation. THANK YOU for creating the Morgan Lens. My eye felt so much better after the second round of irrigation, and it did take two rounds before the pH level in my eye returned to normal. I know companies always hear about the things that go wrong with their equipment. I want you to know that your equipment did something wonderful, and I want you to know how very much I appreciate it.
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