Figure 4.

Pharmacologic modulation of zonular tension of the rat lens. (A–C) Images looking down on the anterior surface of enucleated rat eyes showing the pupil diameter in untreated eyes (A) and the increase and decrease following treatment with either tropicamide (B) or pilocarpine (C), respectively, for 60 minutes. (D–G) Eyes were then fixed and the posterior sclera and retina removed to visualize the circumlental space (D, E) and how it increased and decreased following treatment with either tropicamide (F) or pilocarpine (G). (H) Summary of measurements taken from high-power images showed that in control eyes (E), the distance between ciliary processes and the lens was 151.51 ± 2.3 µm (mean ± SE). In eyes treated with 0.2% tropicamide (J), the circumlental space was increased to 167.67 ± 1.4 µm (mean ± SE). In eyes treated with 0.2% pilocarpine (I), the circumlental space was reduced to 129.03 ± 2.5 µm (mean ± SE). These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Statistical analysis was performed with a Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.05 for each tested group.