Glucose concentrations and glycogen levels in the aqueous humor of fresh and refrigereated bovine eyes.

Glucose concentrations in the aqueous humor and its incorporation into epithelial glycogen were measured by adding glucose uniformly labeled with radioactive carbon to the anterior chamber of both fresh and stored bovine eyes (24 hours at 5 degrees C). Concentrations of exogenous glucose in the aqueous humor were higher in refrigerated eyes but declined as rapidly as those in fresh eyes. Furthermore, the epithelium retained the ability to incorporate the exogenous glucose into glycogen after 24 hours of storage at 5 degrees C. Addition of glucose to the aqueous humor of human eyes after refrigeration may increase epithelial retention on donor corneal buttons.