Analysis of cholinesterases of intact cat cornea, ciliary body, lens, and retina.

A radiometric method has been used on preparations of intact ocular tissue to dissociate the effects of surface cholinesterase from intracellular enzymes. This method provides a technique to determine the effects of surface enzyme potentiation or inhibition, and may be helpful in evaluating the degree of surface enzyme inhibition with pharmacologic response. Surface cholinesterase activity was found to be highest in ciliary body, lower in retina, and least in cornea and crystalline lens. Butyrylcholinesterase was found to contribute some 50 per cent of surface enzyme activity in the ciliary body, retina, and lens, and 80 per cent in the cornea.