Long-term intraocular pressure after switching a combination ophthalmic medication of β-blocker/prostaglandin

PURPOSE:

We examined intraocular pressure (IOP)-reducing effects 12 months after switching timolol maleate/travoprost combination ophthalmic solution in one bottle (TM/TR-COMBI-SOL) to carteolol hydrochloride/latanoprost combination ophthalmic solution in one bottle (CR/LT-COMBI-SOL).

CASES:

The participants included 25 patients (25 eyes) who could be followed up for 12 months after a switch from TM/TR-COMBI-SOL to CR/LT-COMBI-SOL in Saiseikai Arida Hospital between March 1, 2017, and August 31, 2018. They consisted of patients in whom antiglaucoma eye drop other than TM/TR-COMBI-SOL had not been used (monotherapy group, 12 patients [12 eyes], 12.8 ± 3.0 mmHg) and those in whom antiglaucoma eye drop other than TM/TR-COMBI-SOL had been concomitantly used (multitherapy group, 13 patients [13 eyes], 13.8 ± 2.4 mmHg). We excluded patients in whom drugs for glaucoma were changed or added during the follow-up and those who underwent intraocular surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We retrospectively and statistically examined the IOP before eye drop switching and after 1, 6, and 12 months, using the paired t-test.

RESULTS:

The IOPs 1 month after eye drop switching in the monotherapy group and multitherapy group were 12.5 ± 3.3 and 13.8 ± 2.5 mmHg, respectively. The values after 6 months were 13.5 ± 3.0 and 11.5 ± 2.7 mmHg, respectively. Those after 12 months were 12.8 ± 2.7 and 11.7 ± 2.5 mmHg, respectively. In the monotherapy group, there was no significant difference during the follow-up period. In the multitherapy group, there were significant decreases in comparison with the preswitching value after 6 and 12 months (P < 0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSION:

The IOP-reducing effects of CR/LT-COMBI-SOL were similar to those of TM/TR-COMBI-SOL. However, the effects may be enhanced after switching from TM/TR-COMBI-SOL in patients receiving multitherapy.

Carteolol hydrochloride suppresses the generation of reactive oxygen species and rescues cell death after ultraviolet irradiation of cultured lens epithelial cells

Introduction:

Anti-oxidant activities of adrenergic β-blockers are proposed in various organs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of carteolol hydrochloride, an adrenergic β-blocker, on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the viable cell number after ultraviolet irradiation of cultured lens epithelial cells (LECs).

Materials and Methodology:

Cultured LECs were exposed to 0, 10^–5, 10^–4, and 10^–3 M carteolol hydrochloride for 30 min followed by ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation at intensity of 100, 200, or 400 mJ/cm². The amount of ROS in the LECs was measured using dichlorodihydrofluorescein at 30 min after exposure to UVB. In addition, the number of living LECs was counted at 15 h after exposure to UVB.

Results:

Exposure to 10^–3 M carteolol hydrochloride significantly decreased the amount of ROS after exposure to UVB at intensities of 100, 200, and 400 mJ/cm². In addition, 10^–3 M carteolol hydrochloride significantly increased the viable cell number after exposure to UVB at 400 mJ/cm². However, 10^–4 and 10^–5M carteolol hydrochloride had no significant effect on ROS or the viable cell number in LECs.

Discussions:

Carteolol hydrochloride protects LECs against UVB irradiation by inhibiting the intracellular production of ROS.