Decreased intraocular pressure and aqueous humor turnover rate during longitudinal ocular studies in the rabbit.

One group of 5 pigmented rabbits, during a period of 10 weeks, and two groups of 8 albino rabbits, during 16 weeks, showed a fall in aqueous turnover rate and outflow facility of about 30%. A fall in intraocular pressure also occurred of about 10 mm Hg. The biochemical correlative mechanism, systemic and/or local, is conjectural (reduction of "stress"; homeostasis). Empirically a parallel completely untreated control group should accompany any longitudinal study group in order to differentiate these temporal trends from experimental effects.