Topical propranolol and ocular tension in the human.

Propranolol was introduced as a 0-adrenergic receptor antagonist, having about ten times the potency of pronethalol against isoprenaline (Black, Crowther, Shanks, Smith, and Dornhorst, I964) while being devoid of intrinsic sympathomimetic activity. A preliminary investigation with systemic racemic propranolol intravenously and by mouth showed that it caused a lowering of ocular tension in patients with glaucoma (Phillips, Howitt, and Rowlands, I967). These observations were confirmed by Cote and Drance (i968) using orally administered propranolol in humans, and by Vale and Phillips (I970) using intravenously administered propranolol in humans and rabbits. Following reports that topical propranolol was also effective in reducing tension (Bucci, Giraldi, Missiroli, and Virno, i968), it was decided to reinvestigate the effect of topical propranolol; a previous, unpublished trial with propranolol in humans had given disappointing results, particularly when it was compared with the effects of topical propranolol in the rabbit (Vale, I968).