The deleterious effects of exogenous bicarbonate on the rabbit cornea undergoing prolonged refrigerated storage

The functional integrity of stored corneas is investigated, using the criterion of final minimum thickness achieved by the corneas when incubated under standardized conditions. This criterion indicates that rabbit corneas stored in low bicarbonate media function better in vitro than those stored in high bicarbonate media. Reasons are advanced which might explain the phenomenon. It is proposed that a relatively low concentration of bicarbonate in McCarey-Kaufman medium (1974) is a major factor in the success of their procedure.