Effect of vibration on sulfomucopolysaccharide metabolism in the eye.

The metabolism of 35S sodium sulfate was studied in the eyes of guinea pigs and rabbits subjected to vibration. The investigations included determination of radioactivity of whole eyeballs of guinea pigs and in single eyeball tunics of rabbits, i.e., retina-choroid-sclera investigated jointly as a tissue complex, and cornea and lens studied separately, besides that, autoradiographic investigations were performed. The animals were subjected to a vertical, sinusoidal vibration of 42 Hz. frequency and 1 mm. amplitude. The duration of one exposure was three hours and they were repeated daily for three to six days. Incorporation of the isotope into the eyeballs of animals subjected to vibration was decreased and this decrease was related to the length of exposure suggesting that vibration changes the metabolism of sulfomucopolysaccharides in the eye.