Anti-platelet effects of anti-glaucomatous eye drops: an in vitro study on human platelets

Altered platelet aggregability has been implicated in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. This study aims to investigate the anti-platelet potential of intraocular pressure lowering drops, with the possibility of establishing it as an additional mechanism of anti-glaucomatous action.

The anti-aggregating effects of a series of anti-glaucomatous eye drops were determined on human platelets in the platelet aggregation model, using four known aggregating factors (platelet activating factor [PAF], adenosine diphosphate [ADP], thrombin receptor-activating peptide [TRAP], and arachidonic acid [AA]).

Almost all of the tested samples inhibited platelet aggregation induced by PAF, ADP, TRAP, and AA, except for Alphagan, which did not demonstrate inhibition of ADP- and TRAP-induced aggregation at a wide range of concentrations. Trusopt, Betoptic, and Azarga eye drops were the most potent inhibitors of all four aggregating factors, while Alphagan was the least potent (P<0.05).

This study shows that anti-glaucomatous eye drops possess anti-platelet effects, and this was shown for the first time by experimenting on human platelets.