[Effect of latanoprost on the barrier function of corneal epithelium].
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the effect on corneal epithelium barrier function of instillation of prostaglandin F2 alpha ophthalmic solution (latanoprost) for one month.


METHODS
Ten healthy volunteers and nine glaucoma patients were enrolled in this study. The barrier function was determined as uptake of topically applied sodium fluorescein by the central cornea measured with an anterior fluorophotometer(FL-500, Kowa Co. Ltd). Healthy volunteers and glaucoma patients received 0.005% latanoprost instillation once daily for one month. We measured the uptake of fluorescein by the cornea of each subject before and one month after instillation.


RESULTS
Fluorescein uptake before the instillation was 22.2 +/- 16.0 ng/ml (mean +/- standard deviation) and 26.4 +/- 15.1 ng/ml one month after the treatment in the normal group, and it was 55.0 +/- 25.0 ng/ml before treatment and 57.8 +/- 37.0 ng/ml after treatment in the glaucoma group. There was no significant difference in the uptake of fluorescein before and after treatment in either of two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that the barrier function of corneal epithelium was not compromised after the instillation of latanoprost for at least one month.
Ishibashi
T
T
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Hirokoji-agaru, Kawaramachi-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-0841, Japan.
Mori
K
K
Adachi
W
W
Naruse
S
S
Hino
Y
Y
Komuro
A
A
Yokoi
N
N
Kinoshita
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018916:Blood-Aqueous Barrier; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D000077338:Latanoprost; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic; D000077338:Latanoprost