Effect of Diet on Vitreous Humor and Serum in Black-tailed Jackrabbits

Abstract

The responses of serum and vitreous humor constituents to two levels of nutrition were compared in 23 adult, male black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus). The vitreous humor constituents were similar or linearly correlated to serum constituents for urea nitrogen, triglycerides, and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase. The remaining vitreous humor constituents were neither similar nor predictive of serum constitutents. Vitreous humor glucose, cholesterol, albumin, total protein, and gamma glutamyltransferase, and serum urea nitrogen, triglycerides, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, and gamma glutamyltransferase were affected by 25% feed restrictions. Vitreous humor has potential as a source for biochemical indicators of nutritional intake only if baseline vitreous humor constituent values are determined.