Nitric oxide: a drug target for glaucoma revisited
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Chemiluminescence-based Assays for Detection of Nitric Oxide and its Derivatives from Autoxidation and Nitrosated Compounds
Published on: February 16, 2022
Gerhard Garhöfer1, Leopold Schmetterer2
1Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
Abstract:
A reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only recognized therapy for glaucoma. Hence, drugs exhibiting ocular hypotensive effects are important targets for antiglaucomatous drug development. IOP is determined by the equilibrium of aqueous humor production and outflow through either the trabecular meshwork or the uveoscleral outflow pathway. There is increasing evidence that nitric oxide (NO) has a major role in the regulation of IOP by directly acting on the trabecular meshwork and thereby lowering IOP. Taking advantage of this mechanism, newly designed NO-donating drugs combine the IOP-lowering effect of known substances with the trabecular meshwork outflow-increasing effect of NO. Here, we review the molecular mechanism of this new entity of IOP-lowering drugs.
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