THE APPEARANCE OF ACTIVE PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR OF UROKINASE-TYPE (U-PA) IN THE RABBIT ANTERIOR EYE SEGMENT IRRADIATED BY UVB RAYS - A HISTOCHEMICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL-STUDY

Repeated irradiation of the rabbit eye with UV rays of 312 nm waveleng th (UVB) evoked the appearance of active plasminogen activator of urok inase type (u-PA) in the anterior eye segment. Using histochemistry, a ctive u-PA appeared first in the corneal epithelium followed by the co rneal endothelium, inflammatory cells in the corneal stroma and the le ns epithelium. With a semiquantitative fluorescent method active u-PA was also found in the tear fluid and aqueous humour. UV rays of 365 nm wavelength (UVA) under the same conditions did not cause the appearan ce of active u-PA in the anterior eye segment.