ENDOGENOUS SUPEROXIDE-LIKE SPECIES AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN OCULAR-TISSUES DETECTED BY LUMINOL LUMINESCENCE

A new luminescent method was used to detect the reactive oxygen specie s in aqueous and vitreous humors and in homogenates of the lens and re tina of laboratory rats. Superoxide-like activity per mu g protein inc reased in all tissues with weight of the rat, a good indicator of anim al age. Superoxide dismutase, centrophenoxine, soluble vitamin E (D-al pha-tocopheral (polyethlyene glycol 1000) succinate, and N'-diphenyl-p -phenylenediamine (DPPD) reduced the luminescence. Catalase had no eff ect. These results are consistent with the detected species being supe roxide-like.