Association of ocular pressure and optic disc cup volume with red blood cell sodium-potassium ATPase inhibition.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if there were significant differences between the number of red blood cell ouabain binding sites in normals and untreated ocular hypertensives plus one open-angle glaucoma patient.


METHODS
We measured the binding of (3)H ouabain to erythrocyte membranes of 23 normals, 25 ocular hypertensives and one open-angle glaucoma. We also measured the levels of plasma cortisol and digoxin in these subjects. Characteristics of cupping of the optic disc and thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer, as well as area of optic disc pallor of these subjects were measured by stereophotogrammetry and by computerized image analysis from single and stereo photographs.


RESULTS
The number of (3)H ouabain binding sites was observed to be significantly less in the ocular hypertensives and one glaucoma compared to the normals (p = 0.0009). In multi-variate analyses, to determine what other factors affected this difference, there was a significant negative association with mean intraocular pressure (p = 0.003) (average of both eyes) and total cup volume (average of both eyes) (p = 0.005), diagnosis of ocular hypertension and glaucoma (p = 0.0005) and male gender (p = 0.019). There was a significant positive association with plasma cortisol levels (p = 0.048), and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.037).


CONCLUSIONS
The number of (3)H ouabain binding sites in red blood cells decreases significantly with increasing ocular pressure and increasing cup volume indicating the possible presence of an increased systemic endogenous digoxin-like inhibitor and/or difference in the isozymes of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase which may be associated with increased levels of plasma cortisol in ocular hypertensives and glaucomas.
Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. glaucomares@dreamcom.net
B
B
Schwartz
R
R
Abrahamson
T
T
Takamoto
A
A
Wysocki
D001665:Binding Sites; D004077:Digoxin / Q000097:blood; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D010042:Ouabain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010042:Ouabain; D004077:Digoxin; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D006854:Hydrocortisone