Phagocytosis in the choroidal endothelium of the ischaemic rabbit eye.

Phagosomes containing membranous debris were found in the choroidal endothelium of rabbits following periods of acute pressure ischaemia and also accompanying periods of post-ischaemic recovery. The membranous debris may be of visual cell origin and pass into the choroid by a transpigment epithelial route. Ischaemia may be a sufficient stimulus to induce the vascular endothelium to engulf this material. The phagosomes were found only in ischaemic or post-ischaemic tissue.