Blood pressure rise following angiogenesis inhibition by bevacizumab. A crucial role for microcirculation

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of arecoline in human saliva.

The present invention is directed to compositions and methods for treating presbyopia, mild hyperopia, and irregular astigmatism. The compositions include a cholinergic agent, such as a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M 3 agonist, and an alpha agonist having an imidazoline group or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAID) having COX-2 selectivity. It has been found that an alpha agonist having an imidazoline group or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAID) having COX-2 selectivity in combination with a cholinergic agent, such as pilocarpine, act synergistically to improve the accommodative and focusing ability of the eye while minimizing the side effects from each compound.

Compositions and methods for treating presbyopia, mild hyperopia, and irregular astigmatism

Profiling the endothelial function using both peripheral artery tonometry (EndoPAT) and Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LD) - Complementary studies or waste of time?

The parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system are involved in homeostatic control of a wide variety of ocular functions, including accommodation, pupillomotor control, lacrimation, eyelid position, and aqueous humor production. Familiarity with the functional anatomy of the autonomic nervous system is paramount to the understanding and application of the large number of autonomic drugs used in veterinary ophthalmology. The cholinergic and adrenergic agents discussed in this article are commonly employed to facilitate routine ophthalmic examination, in the diagnosis of autonomic dysfunction, and in the treatment of a variety of ocular diseases.

Nonhypotensive autonomic agents in veterinary ophthalmology

The muscarinic receptor-mediated and non-muscarinic vascular effects of cholinomimetic drugs used in glaucoma were quantified. On the isolated rat aorta, the vascular tone induced by phenylephrine is functionally antagonized by cholinomimetic drugs. Based on EC50, the relative order of potency for the endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation was acetylcholine (0.05 microM) 1 > (+/-)-methacholine (0.35 microM) 1/7 > carbachol (0.63 microM) 1/12 > (+/-)-aceclidine (1.26 microM) 1/25. The maximal effects of the four agonists varied between 82-87%. The muscarinic vascular relaxation of 0.03 microM to 100 microM pilocarpine was less than 15%. At high concentrations, pilocarpine had 1/20.000 the vascular activity of acetylcholine. Physostigmine failed to potentiate the vascular relaxation of exogenous acetylcholine, indicating the absence of acetylcholine esterase in the tissue. Arecoline, with an EC50 of 7.76 microM, was partly sensitive to the removal of the endothelium. Atropine treatment did not block the vascular effect of high concentrations of pilocarpine. Atropine, as expected, blocked the vascular effects of carbachol with K(B) = 3.2 nM. Pilocarpine produces vascular relaxation by its competition with spasmogens like phenylephrine, oxymetazoline, vasopressin or latanoprost. Arecoline also shares these properties with pilocarpine in the blood vessel. The molecular mechanism of the vascular effects as well as ocular clinical implications of cholinomimetic drugs is discussed.

Robert Stearns

Papers

Mechanism of vascular relaxation by cholinomimetic drugs with special reference to pilocarpine and arecoline.