title: Suppression of adrenergic adaptation in the eye with a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor.
abstract: The treatment of glaucoma patients with a topical medication is sometimes associated with adaptation (the development of subsensitivity) to the effect of the medication. In the rabbit eye, adaptation develops when norepinephrine is administered topically on a daily basis. A marked decrease in the intraocular pressure is observed the first day, but diminishing responses are observed on subsequent days. Since prostaglandins may be released in response to catecholamines and have been found to inhibit adrenergic neurotransmission, we treated rabbits with topical flurbiprofen, a potent cyclooxygenase (prostaglandin synthesis) inhibitor, to suppress adaptation to norepinephrine. The results demonstrate a significant suppression of adaptation in the concentration range of 0.001% flurbiprofen (p less then 0.0005). This finding supports the theory that cyclooxygenase products mediate the development of adaptation to exogenous norepinephrine in the rabbit eye.
mesh_terms: D000221:Adaptation, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005480:Flurbiprofen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011422:Propionates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011448:Prostaglandin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D011422:Propionates; D011448:Prostaglandin Antagonists; D005480:Flurbiprofen; D009638:Norepinephrine