Clinical evaluation of the neuroprotective effect of alpha-tocopherol against glaucomatous damage

To evaluate the vasoregulatory effect of antioxidant alpha-tocopherol on retina via protein kinase C pathway.

Thirty glaucomatous patients (60 eyes) were included in this study. The patients were divided into three groups. For patients in Group A, tocopherol was not supplemented in their therapy. Patients in Groups B and C received 300 and 600 mg/day of oral alpha-tocopherol acetate, respectively. The ultimate blood tocopherol levels were confirmed via high-performance liquid chromatography assay. Progression of the disease for each subject was monitored via visual field measurements and color Doppler imaging of ophthalmic and posterior ciliary arteries at the beginning and at the 6th and 12th months of this study.

The average differences between the pulsatility indexes (PI) and resistivity indexes (RI) of both ophthalmic arteries (OA) and posterior ciliary arteries (PCA) of Groups B and C were significantly lower than those of Group A at months 6 and 12. In trial groups, RI decreases observed in PCAs at months 6 and 12 and PI decreases observed in OAs at the 6th month were statistically significant. Differences of mean deviations with visual fields in Groups B and C were highly significantly lower than that of Group A.

Alpha-tocopherol deserves attention beyond its antioxidant properties for protecting retina from glaucomatous damage.