Measurement of aqueous humor flow.
Aqueous humor flow, one of the primary determinants of intraocular pressure, has been measured non-invasively in the human eye since the early 1950s. Other than sleep, which decreases flow rate to approximately half of what it is during alert wakefulness, few conditions affect flow rate. Three classes of medication can suppress flow and have been used therapeutically, beta-adrenergic antagonists, alpha(2)-adrenergic agonists, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Studies of the production and circulation of aqueous humor have provided a basis for understanding the fundamental dynamics of the eye as well as understanding treatments for glaucoma.
McLaren
Jay W
JW
Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. mclaren@mayo.edu
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002257:Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002257:Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors