EARLY CELL KINETIC EFFECTS OF SOME DRUGS ON THE RAT CORNEAL AND CONJUNCTIVAL EPITHELIA

The early cell kinetic response in the rat corneal and conjunctival ep ithelia was studied after a single topical application of dipivefrine, adrenaline and timolol with and without benzalkonium chloride, Benzal konium chloride alone in different concentrations, 0.004%, 0.01%, 0.02 % and 0.04%, respectively, was also evaluated, The stathmokinetic meth od and the tritiated thymidine technique were used to estimate the mit otic rate and the labelling index, Dipivefrine (Propine(R)) gave a sig nificant depression of the mitotic rate almost to the same extent as a drenaline in the corneal epithelium, whereas no changes were found in the limbal area and in the conjunctiva. Timolol (Oftan(R)) with or wit hout benzalkonium chloride, and benzalkonium chloride in different con centrations gave no obvious changes of the mitotic rate. No distinct d rug effects on the labelling index were observed.