The Effects of 1% Apraclonidine(Iopidine) on Intraocular Pressure in Normal Persons

Shin, Young Joo; Jung, Hai Ryun

Abstract

Apraclonidine(Iopidine, p-aminoclonidine hydrochloride, ALO 2145) is a peripheral alpha 2 agonist. We evaluated the effect of apraclonidine on IOP and its systemic or ocular side effects in normal subjects. We measured IOP, BP(systolic and diastolic), pulse rate, pupillary size, palpebral fissure width and checked the ocular side effects, such as conjunctival blanching, irritation, and headache, etc. Mean IOP of eyes instilled with 1% apraclonidine fell by 20 +/- 8.5%, from 15.5 +/- 3.9mmHg to 12.4 +/- 2.6 mmHg, 3 hours after instillation. The effect remained up to 7 hours after instillation(p<0.01). Mean IOP of the fellow eyes did not show statistically significant difference, compared with the baseline; but when compared with the placebo group, there was a slight but statistically significant difference(p<0.01) from 3 hours to 7 hours after instillation. There was no significant difference between the eyes instilled with 1% apraclonidine and the placebo in terms of the mean systolic and diastolic BP, pulse rate, pupillary size and palpebral fissure width. Conjunctival blanching was noted in 51.6% of the eyes instilled with 1% apraclonidine. Other side effects noted were headache(25.8%), lid elevation sense(16.1%), lid drooping sense of the fellow eye(6.4%), nausea(9.7%), and irritation(3.2%).