Relationship between blood volume and accommodation in the rabbit eye

¹ Department of Biology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas

Changes in refractive state, blood volume of major components of the eye, and pupillary changes were studied in the rabbit eye under conditions of sympathetic stimulation, sympathectomy of the eye, and ligation of the major venous return of the eye. Stimulation of the superior cervical ganglion produced flattening of the lens accompanied by decreased blood volume of the eye homolateral to stimulation. The converse was true for interruption of sympathetic outflow to the eye. Such changes were not noted in contralateral eyes. Refractive changes toward myopia were induced by increasing blood volume by ligation of the vortex veins. The refractive change was greatest when venous ligation was accompanied by sympathectomy of the eye. No one portion of the eye was found to change its blood volume to a greater extent than the other portions, each component maintaining its relative volume.