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Effect of topical isopropyl unoprostone on glaucoma patients
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – At this year’s annual Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting, researchers from the Department of Ophthalmology at Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo presented a poster, “Effect of topical isopropyl unoprostone on optic nerve head and retinal circulation in normal tension glaucoma (NTG) patients.”
Authors I. Kimura, T. Tanino, Y. Ohtake and Y. Mashima conducted this study to evaluate the effect of topical isopropyl unoprostone on the tissue circulation in optic nerve head and juxtapapillary retina in normal tension glaucoma patients for 6 months after starting medication. Eleven right eyes of 7 males and 4 females between the ages of 37 and 74 were studied, unless the right eyes were not diseased.
Blood flow measurements were performed before the medication, 3 and 6 months after starting the medication using the Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter, which is intended to assess ocular blood flow by scanning laser Doppler flowmetry. The IOP was also studied each time. Isopropyl unoprostone (0.12%) was to be instilled into the diseased eye about 30 microliters twice daily. Five selected images that were suitable for blood flow measurements of each area were selected and analyzed, and the averages of the measurements on 3 images except the largest and smallest values were used for statistical analysis.
The mean flow values of all analyzed areas except for supero-nasal and temporal juxtapapillary retina at 6 months were increased when compared with baselinje values. IOP did not show significant change.
The results of the study suggest that topical isopropyl unoprostone significantly increases ocular blood flow and maintains the effect for at least 6 months after starting the medication in NTG patients.