Effect of pilocarpine on aqueous humor formation in human beings.

The effect of pilocarpine on aqueous humor flow in the human eye was studied using fluorophotometry. Methods of measuring fluorescent intensity and of calculating aqueous humor flow were used that reduced the problem of uneven mixing of fluorescein, which is observed in the presence of miosis. The rate of aqueous humor flow through the anterior chamber of the placebo-treated eyes was 2.2 +/- 0.35 microL/min and of the pilocarpine, treated eyes was 2.5 +/- 0.47 microL/min. This increase in flow (14%) was statistically significant but too small to be clinically important. Pilocarpine was observed to reduce the anterior chamber volume of these subjects from 204 +/- 26 to 188 +/- 32 microL.