The effect of anoxia on the human corneal epithelium.

After 6 hr of oxygen deprivation, the human corneal epithelium had not swollen. Over the first hour of recovery from anoxia, the epithelium shrank by up to 20% before returning toward its predeprivation thickness. No fluorescein staining of the epithelium was seen during these experiments, but some subjects were able to discern halos immediately after deprivation. We conclude that homeostasis is maintained in the corneal epithelium for up to 6 hr of anoxia, but the intercellular spaces may be altered.