The effects of topical prazosin on normal and elevated intraocular pressure and blood pressure in rabbits.

A 0.1 mg (base) dose of prazosin, a postsynaptic alpha- (alpha 1) adrenoceptor antagonist, in rabbits effected an early decrease in arterial blood pressure, normal intraocular pressure (IOP) and IOP artificially elevated by water loading. The late drug effects suppressed elevated IOP, but not normal IOP. The IOP effects of prazosin seem largely independent of the effect on blood pressure.