Immunocytochemical localization of Na/K-ATPase in the isolated ciliary epithelial bilayer of the rabbit.

This study examined the localization of Na/K-ATPase in a specially isolated ciliary epithelial bilayer of the rabbit. This bilayer, harvested by a technique developed in this laboratory, consisted of pigmented epithelial (PE) and non-pigmented epithelial (NPE) cells free of stroma and with a well preserved ultrastructural morphology. Immunocytochemical localization of Na/K-ATPase was performed using goat anti-rabbit Na/K-ATPase with the biotin-streptavidin peroxidase method on fresh as well as fixed preparations. The most prominent immunostaining was found along the basolateral infoldings and interdigitations of both NPE and PE cells. This finding suggests that both ciliary epithelial layers participate in active ion transport and the production of aqueous humor.