OPTIC-NERVE VASOMOTOR EFFECTS OF TOPICAL BETA-ADRENERGIC ANTAGONISTS IN RABBITS

PURPOSE: To examine the anterior optic nerve vasomotor effects of nons elective and relatively beta 1-selective beta-adrenergic antagonists i n rabbits, because different influences on optic nerve blood flow with these medications have been suggested. METHODS: After topical therapy for 30 days with either timolol maleate 0.5% (six rabbits), betaxolol hydrochloride 0.5% (six rabbits), or placebo (two rabbits), the micro vasculature of the optic nerve was examined with an intraluminal micro vascular corrosion casting technique. The investigators were masked to both the medication group and the treated eye, The constriction, in p ercent of the downstream vessel caliber, was measured at the vascular branching point of arterioles supplying the anterior optic nerve, An a verage constriction was calculated and compared between the medication groups and between the treated and the contralateral, untreated eyes. RESULTS: Constriction values from a total of 218 arterioles supplying the anterior optic nerve were obtained for the 14 rabbits. The means of the average constriction on the treated side were comparable betwee n the groups treated with timolol maleate, betaxolol hydrochloride, an d placebo (one way analysis of variance, P = .64), as well as between the treated and untreated eyes (two-tailed t test for paired variables , P = .68 for timolol maleate and P = .42 for betaxolol hydrochloride) . The statistical power to find a difference of 5% or more average con striction was at least 90%. CONCLUSIONS: Both relatively selective and nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonists produce no observable optic nerve vasomotor effects in the rabbit eye.