Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 25, 2026

Glaucoma-inducing Procedure in an In Vivo Rat Model and Whole-mount Retina Preparation
Published on: March 12, 2016
Treatment of glaucoma with 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydrocortisol: a new therapeutic modality
A L Southren1, T Wandel, G G Gordon
1Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla.
Abstract:
The effectiveness of 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydrocortisol (3 alpha, 5 beta-THF), a metabolite of cortisol, in lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) in rabbits made ocular hypertensive with glucocorticoids suggested its use in patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG). Patients with well-documented POAG were treated with a 1% suspension of 3 alpha, 5 beta-THF administered to one eye four times daily for up to six weeks. Eight out of nine patients experienced an appreciable decrease in IOP in the treated eye (average decrease 4.9 mm Hg). There was no conjunctival irritation, corneal pathology, visual field changes, alteration in liver or renal function tests or blood count during the treatment period. The present study demonstrates that 3 alpha, 5 beta-THF, a naturally occurring steroid metabolite, is effective in lowering IOP in patients with POAG. Antiglucocorticoids may represent a new therapeutic modality for the management of POAG.
Related Concept Videos
Glaucoma: Overview
Open Angle Glaucoma: Treatment
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...
Angle Closure Glaucoma: Treatment
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids
Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs through the...
Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Systems

