Glucose, pyruvate, L-lactate, and citrate concentrations in the aqueous humour of fasting rabbits in relation to age.

Results are reported of determinations of glucose, pyruvate, l-lactate and citrate concentrations in aqueous humour from 42 fasting albino rabbits aged from 8 months to 9 years. The glucose concentrations decreased significantly with increasing age. The pyruvate and l-lactate concentrations as well as the ratios of l-lactate/pyruvate did not change significantly with age. However, the pyruvate concentrations were higher and the l-lactate/pyruvate ratios were lower in the 2-year-old rabbits than in the others. The citrate concentrations were found to rise with increasing age. Because of wide ranges of variation between individuals of the same age groups, the parameters in question have limited value in the evaluation of the energy metabolism of the anterior eye segment.