We conducted a series of experiments on normal and diabetic rabbits to evaluate the effect of intraocular irrigating solutions on the lens. Lenticular clarity was studied in vivo in eyes undergoing vitreous cavity perfusions with various irrigating solutions. The clarity of isolated lenses incubated in these same solutions was also evaluated. In order to quantitate the cataractous changes observed, we measured the uptake of inulin (tagged with radioactive carbon) by isolated lenses. We found that balanced salt solution (BSS) and BSS Plus maintain excellent lens clarity in normal rabbits; that diabetic lenses are more likely to develop opacification than normal lenses, becoming cataractous when exposed to BSS Plus; and that adding supplemental glucose to BSS Plus allows this solution to maintain excellent lens clarity in diabetic rabbits.