OCULAR HYPOTENSIVE EFFECT OF SUBLINGUAL ADMINISTRATION OF TIMOLOL

Purpose: A randomized clinical trial to assess ocular hypotensive effe ct of sublingual administration of timolol was performed. Patients and methods: Seventeen (9 male, 8 female; age range 45 to 68 years) with bilateral ocular hypertension were selected for the study. Each patien t was evaluated with regard to IOP, arterial blood pressure and heart rate before and after each of the following experimental treatment: un ilateral ocular administration of 20 mu l of 0.5% timolol solution; su blingual administration of 20 mu l of 0.5% timolol solution; unilatera l ocular administration of 20 mu l of saline solution (placebo); subli ngual administration of 20 mu l of saline solution (placebo). The sequ ence of the treatments and the eye topically treated were randomly cho sen. At least four weeks wash-out elapsed between each experimental tr eatment. Results: Our results showed that sublingual administration of timolol was able to induce a bilateral significant reduction of the I OP. This reduction was not statistically different from that obtained in the eye treated with timolol. A significantly greater reduction of the IOP was obtained by sublingual timolol than in the contralateral e ye after unilateral topical administration of timolol solution. No sig nificant modification of arterial blood pressure and heart rate were e videnced after the treatment. Conclusions: Sublingual administration s eems to be a new interesting way for reducing the IOP. Long term studi es are required in order to test efficacy and safety of this new treat ment.