[Ultrastructural changes in the conjunctiva of Cynomolgus monkeys following pilocarpine administration?]

After a slow-release pilocarpine carrier had been applied for three months, the conjunctival epithelium of two Cynomolgus monkeys showed some remarkable changes in the structure and distribution of the cell types as defined by the authors. The goblet cells (Type I) had almost entirely disappeared, whereas the epithelial cells with secretion granules (Type II) had considerably increased in number. The morphology of the Type II cells gave clear indications of a very active metabolism. In a control experiment, in which two Cynomolgus monkeys treated with a 4% pilocarpine solution for three months, these ultrastructural changes did not occur; it must therefore be assumed that mechanical irritation of the conjunctiva was the cause.