The role of prostaglandins in experimental ocular inflammations.

Intraocular inflammations (uveitis) were produced in rabbits by intravitreal injection of killed and dried Mycobacterium butyricum or E. coli endotoxin, or paracentesis of the anterior chamber. The increase in permeability of the blood-aqueous barrier and the leucocyte migration into the aqueous humor were observed after these stimuli, although the leucocyte did not migrate after paracentesis. Topically applied indomethacin reduced these inflammatory parameters in the latter two models. However, ththacin, though the leucocyte was not affected by indomethacin, though the leucocyte migration was reduced. On the other hand, prostaglandin-like substances in thces of these substances were detected in the former model. These results indicated that, unlike the increase in the permeability of the blood-aqueous barrier after endotoxin injection andparacentesis, the response after M. butyricum injection is not mediated by prostaglandins. The role of prostaglandins in the leucocyte migration in these ocular inflammations was also discussed.