The effects of glaucoma medications on Tenon's capsule and conjunctiva in the rabbit.
Glaucoma filtering surgery fails most frequently due to fibrosis at the episcleral-conjunctival/Tenon's capsule interface. Sherwood et al have suggested that chronic topical antiglaucoma medications increase conjunctival inflammatory cells, which could increase the likelihood of fibrosis and subsequent bleb failure. In a pilot study in a rabbit model, we placed timolol, pilocarpine, and epinephrine, or a combination of all three, in one eye of 24 animals twice daily for 7 months. The fellow eye received distilled water. Microscopic examination revealed no statistically significant change in the number of acute or chronic inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, or goblet cells in the treated as compared with the control eyes. A longer duration of drug administration, or drug administration followed by surgical intervention, may be required to produce an effect on the conjunctiva and Tenon's capsule, if such an effect exists.
Smith
D L
DL
W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48105.
Skuta
G L
GL
Kincaid
M C
MC
Rabbani
R
R
Cruess
D F
DF
Kao
S F
SF
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005123:Eye / Q000187:drug effects*; D005205:Fascia / Q000187:drug effects*; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011817:Rabbits; D013999:Timolol / Q000494:pharmacology
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D010862:Pilocarpine; D013999:Timolol; D004837:Epinephrine