Effect of topical unoprostone isopropyl on optic nerve head circulation in controls and in normal-tension glaucoma patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of unoprostone isopropyl on microcirculation in the optic nerve head (ONH) of controls and patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).


METHODS
Thirty healthy volunteers were randomly placed in a placebo group or a control group. For ten NTG patients, one eye was selected to receive the placebo drops and the contralateral eye received the unoprostone in a masked fashion. In both studies, the intraocular pressure (IOP) and the parameters of the blood hemodynamics of the ONH were obtained before and at 1 and 2 h after the instillation. Blood flow measurements were made with a scanning laser Doppler flowmeter.


RESULTS
In both control subjects and NTG patients, the changes in the IOPs after the instillation of either unoprostone or the placebo were not significant because almost all of the NTG patients had IOPs lower than 15 mmHg. Although the hemodynamic parameters were not significantly changed in the placebo-treated eyes of the controls, the eyes of the controls treated with unoprostone had mean blood velocity and flow values that were significantly higher than the baseline values 1 and 2 h after instillation (P < 0.01). The velocity values of the controls treated with unoprostone were significantly higher than in those controls receiving the placebo at 2 h postinstillation (P = 0.027). The values for the three circulation parameters (volume, velocity, flow) were significantly higher than the baseline values after instillation in the eyes of the NTG patients treated with unoprostone (P < 0.05). In contrast, none of these parameters was significantly different from the baseline in the eyes of NTG patients treated with placebo.


CONCLUSIONS
These results showed that unoprostone significantly increased microcirculation in the ONH in control subjects and in NTG patients without reducing the IOP significantly.
Kimura
Itaru
I
Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. kimura@sc.itc.keio.ac.ip
Shinoda
Kei
K
Tanino
Tomihiko
T
Ohtake
Yuichiro
Y
Mashima
Yukihiko
Y
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000098:blood supply*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000187:drug effects*
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; C072630:isopropyl unoprostone; D015237:Dinoprost