Acute Corneal Toxicity of Combined Antiglaucoma Topical Eyedrops

  • Curr Eye Res. 2016 Oct;41(10):1326-1330. doi: 10.3109/02713683.2015.1122811.
Yasser Helmy Mohamed  1  2 ,  Masafumi Uematsu  1 ,  Naoko Onizuka  1 ,  Ryotaro Ueki  1 ,  Daisuke Inoue  1 ,  Azusa Fujikawa  1 ,  Hitoshi Sasaki  3 ,  Takashi Kitaoka  1
Affiliations
  • 1. a Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Nagasaki University , Nagasaki , Japan.
  • 2. b Department of Ophthalmology , EL-Minia University Hospital , EL-Minia , Egypt.
  • 3. c Department of Hospital Pharmacy , Nagasaki University Hospital of Medicine and Dentistry , Nagasaki , Japan.
PMID: 27002346 DOI: 10.3109/02713683.2015.1122811
Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the corneal toxicity of three combined antiglaucoma topical eyedrops using transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Methods: Corneal TER changes after a 60-s exposure to latanoprost/timolol with 0.02% benzalkonium chloride (BAC), travoprost/timolol with polyquaternium-1, and dorzolamide/timolol with 0.005% BAC were measured in living rabbits. Corneal damage was also examined by SEM. Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS) was used as a control.

Results: There was a significant decrease in the corneal TER after exposure of the cornea to latanoprost/timolol with 0.02% BAC. Travoprost/timolol with polyquaternium-1 and dorzolamide/timolol with 0.005% BAC did not produce any significant decrease in the corneal TER as compared to HBSS control eyes. SEM revealed that superficial cells of corneas treated with latanoprost/timolol with 0.02% BAC were damaged and exhibited degenerated microvilli. Conversely, the superficial cells of corneas exposed to travoprost/timolol with polyquaternium-1 or dorzolamide/timolol with 0.005% BAC appeared normal and had normal microvilli under SEM examinations.

Conclusion: The corneal toxicity of latanoprost/timolol with 0.02% BAC is greater than that of travoprost/timolol with polyquaternium-1 and dorzolamide/timolol with 0.005% BAC. Latanoprost/timolol contains 0.02% BAC, which may be responsible for the corneal toxicity.

Keywords
Cornea; electrophysiology; preservative; scanning electron microscopy; toxicology.
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