How latanoprost and timolol eye drops affect eye pressure and heart

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine effects after topical administration of latanoprost, timolol, or a commercially available latanoprosttimolol combination twice daily on intraocular pressure (IOP), pupil size (PS), and heart rate (HR) in clinically normal dogs. ANIMALS: 17 clinically normal dogs. PROCEDURES: A randomized controlled clinical trial was performed with a treatment (n=9) and saline (0.9% NaCl) solution group (8). Each dog in the treatment group received 3 treatments (latanoprost, timolol, and the latanoprost-timolol combination), with a 14-day washout period between treatments. Baseline values were established on day 1 of each treatment period. On days 2 through 5, drugs were administered topically every 12 hours to 1 eye of each dog in the treatment group. In both groups, IOP PS, and HR were measured at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9 hours on days 2 and 5. RESULTS: Eyes treated with latanoprost or the latanoprost-timolol combination had a significant decrease in IOP and a significantly smaller PS, compared with results for dogs receiving only timolol or dogs in the saline solution group. Timolol and the latanoprost-timolol combination both significantly lowered HR, compared with HR following administration of latanoprost and the saline solution. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Topical administration of latanoprost alone was as effective at lowering IOP as was administration of the latanoprost-timolol combination when both were given every 12 hours to clinically normal dogs. Timolol, either alone or in combination with latanoprost, appeared to have little or no effect on IOP in clinically normal dogs but was associated with a reduction in HR.