Influence of topically applied prazosin on the intraocular pressure of experimental animals.

Prazosin hydrochloride, an oral antihypertensive, is reported to inhibit phosphodiesterase and block postsynaptic alpha-adrenergic receptors, intraocular pressure (IOP) in rabbits was reduced in a dose-related manner following topical ocular application of concentrations of 0.0001% to 0.1%. The ocular hypotensive response lasted six to eight hours with a maximum effect at approximately two hours. The IOP of unilaterally sympathectomized rabbits treated in both eyes with prazosin decreased more in the normal eyes than in the sympathectomized eyes. Treatment of only the unsympathectomized eyes of these rabbits elicited a similar response. Normal rabbits elicited a similar response. Normal rabbits treated in only one eye also showed a slight response in the contralateral eye. Preliminary experiments did not support the hypothesis that these effects were due to a decrease of systemic blood pressure. No substantial ocular toxicity or pupillary changes were observed.