Effect of hyaluronic acid on intraocular pressure in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of acute or chronic intracameral injection of hyaluronic acid on intraocular pressure (IOP) in rats.


METHODS
Acute or chronic injections of hyaluronic acid were performed unilaterally in the rat eye's anterior chamber, whereas the contralateral eye was injected with saline solution. IOP was assessed daily or weekly by a tonometer in conscious rats. IOP was also assessed in both experimental groups at several intervals during the light-dark cycle.


RESULTS
A single injection of hyaluronic acid induced an increase of IOP that lasted for 8 days (P < 0.01), whereas its chronic administration during 9 weeks induced a significant and sustained increase in IOP, compared with the eye injected with vehicle (P < 0.01). This hyaluronic acid-induced hypertension was significantly decreased by the application of 1 drop of brimonidine (0.2%), latanoprost (0.005%), or timolol (0.5%). Significant daily variations of IOP were observed in both control and hyaluronic acid-injected eyes, peaking during the dark phase (P < 0.001, ANOVA).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the intracameral administration of hyaluronic acid could be a model of ocular hypertension in rats.
Benozzi
Jorge
J
Laboratory of Retinal Neurochemistry and Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Human Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires-Paraguay 2155, 1121 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Nahum
Lucio P
LP
Campanelli
Julieta L
JL
Rosenstein
Ruth E
RE
D000818:Animals; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000187:drug effects; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000068438:Brimonidine Tartrate; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007267:Injections; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077338:Latanoprost; D008297:Male; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013999:Timolol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic; D011810:Quinoxalines; D000068438:Brimonidine Tartrate; D000077338:Latanoprost; D013999:Timolol; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid