Stimulation of neovascularization of the cornea by biogenic amines

A technique is described for inserting a plastic tube into the rabbit's cornea for the long-term study of the action of drugs on the tissue. The tube acts as a reservoir and slowly releases the active material from its tip. Either acetylcholine, histamine, serotonin or bradykinin caused the growth of vessels from the corneal limbus into the lumen of the tube in one-third of the experiments. No such growth was ever observed in control tubes filled with saline. This growth resembled that noted previously when corneal burns were produced centrally to implanted tubes open at both ends, and suggested that the chemical vaso-stimulating factor may be a biogenic amine.