Inhibitory effect of pilocarpine on norepinephrine release from electrically stimulated iris dilator muscles of rabbits as a most possible mechanism of pilocarpine-induced miosis.

Instillation of pilocarpine-induced a miosis in a rabbit. In an isolated iris sphincter muscle of rabbit, pilocarpine induced a small contraction and behaved as an antagonist of carbachol. The contractile response of an isolated rabbit dilator muscle to a field stimulation was inhibited by pilocarpine. This inhibitory action of pilocarpine was antagonized by atropine in a concentration-dependent manner. An amount of norepinephrine released from the electrically stimulated dilator muscle was inhibited by pilocarpine. The inhibitory effect of pilocarpine on norepinephrine release was decreased by atropine. A following explanation is proposed as a most possible mechanism for the pilocarpine-induced miosis in the rabbit. Pilocarpine activates the prejunctional cholinoceptors to inhibit norepinephrine release from the adrenergic nerve in the dilator muscle. Thus pilocarpine decreases tonus of the dilator muscle and induces the miosis.