Effect of pilocarpine on aqueous humor formation in human beings
S. Nagataki and R. F. Brubaker
The effect of pilocarpine on aqueous humor flow in the human eye was
studied using fluorophotometry. Methods of measuring fluorescent intensity
and of calculating aqueous humor flow were used that reduced the problem of
uneven mixing of fluorescein, which is observed in the presence of miosis.
The rate of aqueous humor flow through the anterior chamber of the
placebo-treated eyes was 2.2 +/- 0.35 microL/min and of the pilocarpine,
treated eyes was 2.5 +/- 0.47 microL/min. This increase in flow (14%) was
statistically significant but too small to be clinically important.
Pilocarpine was observed to reduce the anterior chamber volume of these
subjects from 204 +/- 26 to 188 +/- 32 microL.
