Effect of topical carteolol on tissue circulation in the optic nerve head.

The effect of topical 2% carteolol on tissue circulation in the albino rabbit optic nerve head (ONH) was investigated using a laser speckle tissue circulation analyzer. In the first experiment, the normalized blur (NB) value, a quantitative index of tissue blood flow velocity in the ONH, intraocular pressure (IOP), blood pressure (BP), and pulse rate were measured under general anesthesia before as well as 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after a 20-microL instillation of carteolol in one eye and the vehicle in the other eye in a masked, randomized manner. In the second experiment, one eye of a rabbit received carteolol twice daily for 20 days and the fellow eye received the vehicle in a masked, randomized manner. The IOP was measured every 5 days, and the NB in the ONH and IOP were measured before treatment and 2 hours after the last instillation on the 20th day. After a single instillation of carteolol, pulse rate showed a maximum reduction of 15%, and IOP in the carteolol-treated eyes showed a maximum decrease of 22%. The NB in the ONH and BP did not show any significant change during the experiment. After 20-day treatment with carteolol, IOP showed a maximum decrease of 25% in the carteolol-treated eyes and 21% in the vehicle-treated eyes. The NB showed a significant increase of 15% (P < 0.01) in the carteolol-treated eyes and 11% (P < 0.01) in the vehicle-treated eyes. It was indicated that long-term topical carteolol increased the blood velocity in the ONH tissue both in the carteolol- and vehicle-treated contralateral eyes in albino rabbits.