Reduction of intraocular pressure in normal and glaucomatous primate (Aotus trivirgatus) eyes by topically applied prostaglandin F2 alpha.

Topical application of a single dose of 1.0 mg prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) onto the cornea of five trained owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus) caused a prolonged and highly significant ocular hypotony. The intraocular pressure (IOP) of the treated eye was 4.7 +/- 0.9 mm Hg below that of the control eye 18 to 24 hr after PGF2 alpha application and remained significantly reduced for over 72 hr. Miosis, aqueous flare, and accumulation of cells in the anterior chamber were minimal in extent. The hypotensive effect of PGF2 alpha was even more pronounced when applied to a glaucomatous owl monkey eye with angle recession, which had IOPs consistently in the 45 to 55 mm Hg range (mean: 47.2 +/- 0.7) as measured periodically over a one-year period. The application of a single dose of 1.0 mg of PGF2 alpha to this hypertensive eye reduced IOP by over 25 mm Hg within 4 hr, with a relative hypotony lasting for at least 6 days. These results show that topical application of certain PGs to normotensive or hypertensive primate eyes can cause a long lasting and highly significant decrease in IOP, and suggest that prostaglandins or their analogues may aid in the therapeutic control of ocular hypertension and glaucoma.