Abstract
Although exposure of epidermal melanocytes to ultraviolet radiation is known to increase tyrosinase activity, a similar effect has never been demonstrated for the iris. This paper presents evidence that light stimulates tyrosinase activity in iris melanocytes in rabbits. Levels of iris tyrosinase were found to be greater in eyes of rabbits exposed to light for 6 weeks than in eye of rabbits maintained in darkness. Despite increasing tyrosinase levels, exposure to light produced no clinically observable change in iris color.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 559-562 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| State | Published - Dec 1 1980 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ophthalmology
- Sensory Systems
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience