Ocular Inflammation

TL;DR: The study extracted and assayed prostaglandins from uveitis samples and examined their activity against PGE. The assay was sensitive and selective, and extracts contained prostaglandin-like activity. However, further examination of the prostaglandin-like activity was limited by the small sample size and the difficulty of obtaining samples.

Abstract: 200C. All except two of the uveitis samples were extracted for prostaglandins with ethanol acidified with formic acid, followed by chloroform (Unger et al., 1971). They were then assayed against PGE, for prostaglandin-like activity on rat stomach strips (Vane, 1957) suspended in 5 ml of Krebs's solution at 37°C and aerated with 5% carbon dioxide in oxygen. The antagonist drugs methysergide, atropine, and mepyramine (all 0-1 ,ug/ml) were present in the bathing solution, and indomethacin (1 tug/ml) was added in some experiments. These drugs increased the selectivity and often the sensitivity of the assay. In an attempt to identify the prostaglandin-like activity present, extracts and control solutions of PGE, and prostaglandin F.a (PGFsa) were incubated with 02N sodium hydroxide for 45 minutes at 37°C (PGE compounds are converted by this procedure to substances which do not contract rat stomach strips). Further examination of the prostaglandin-like activityfor example, by thin-layer chromatography-was not possible because of the small volumes available from each patient and the difficulty of obtaining these samples. Introduction