The effects of pilocarpine on the dynamics of aqueous humor in a primate (Macaca irus)

Albumin labelled with '•"/ and I was used to determine at the same time and. in both eyes the rates of conventional and uveoscleral bulk drainage of aqueous humor in cynomolgus monkeys under pentobarbital anesthesia. With 10'* M per liter of pilocarpine in the anterior chamber, the rate of conventional bulk drainage of aqueous humor was 0.98 ± 0.19 nl per minute as compared with 0.56 ± 0.12 fil per minute in the control eye. The rate of uveoscleral bulk drainage was 0.07 t 0.01 fil per minute in the pilocarpine eye, and 1.04 t 0.14 fil per minute in the control eye. The mean rate of aqueous humor production in the pilocarpine eye, 1.05 ± 0.17 fil per minute, was significantly loioer than that in the control eye, 1.60 0.14 fil per minute. The average increase in facility that was produced by pilocarpine toas 0.109 ± 0.042 fil per minute per millimeters of mercury; it ivas probably significant. The outflow pressure in the pilocarpine eye was calculated to be about 3.7 mm. Hg, that in the control eye was about 2.6 mm. Hg. The intraocular pressure was 2.64 ± 0.71 mm. Hg higher on the pilocarpine side. Part of the rise in intraocular pressure teas due to the reduction in uveoscleral drainage of aqueous humor that caused an increased fiow by way of conventional routes. The reduction in aqueous humor formation in the pilocarpine eyes was related to the rise in intraocular pressure, and probably caused by this rise.