Absence of an effect of topical dexamethasone on endothelial permeability and flow of aqueous humor.
Twenty-four normal human subjects were studied before and after one week of treatment with 0.1% topical dexamethasone. Intraocular pressure, corneal thickness and endothelial cell size were measured. The flow of aqueous humor and the endothelial permeability to fluorescein were determined using fluorophotometry. In addition, the relationship between the initial location of an iontophoretic depot of fluorescein and its kinetics was studied. There was a small and significant increase in intraocular pressure in the eyes treated with dexamethasone but no significant change in corneal thickness, endothelial permeability or the rate of aqueous humor flow. The elimination of fluorescein from the eye was slightly higher when the fluorescein depot was placed adjacent to the superior limbus than when the depot was placed in the central cornea. Smaller right to left differences were observed when fluorescein was placed peripherally than when it was placed centrally. The increased precision with peripheral placement is probably due to the improved signal-to-noise ratio for fluorescence measurements of the anterior chamber through the unstained cornea.
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000187:drug effects*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects*; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004727:Endothelium / Q000187:drug effects; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D007700:Kinetics
D005452:Fluoresceins; D003907:Dexamethasone