VITREOUS CHANGES DURING OCULAR INFLAMMATION-INDUCED BY INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA

To determine the mechanisms of vitreous changes during ocular inflamma tion, we investigated these changes, focusing on the collagen, in an e xperimental model of ocular inflammation induced by intravitreal injec tion of interleukin 1 beta in rabbits. Inflammation caused gel contrac tion, with release of a watery liquid from the gel, and increases in t he amount of insoluble material and high-molecular-weight components o f the vitreous collagen, presumably due to extensive cross-links of th e collagen molecules. The cross-links of vitreous collagen may promote vitreous gel contraction and the release of watery liquid from the ge l.