[Effects of brovincamine fumarate on choroidal blood volume in rabbits]

We examined the effects of brovincamine fumarate, a Ca(2+)-channel blocker, on choroidal blood flow. We measured the choroidal blood volume continuously for 1 hour using laser Doppler flowmetry, as well as systemic blood pressure, heart rate, and intraocular pressure in six urethane-anesthetized rabbits after intravenous administration of 0.1 mg/kg or 0.5 mg/kg brovincamine. As a control, ten rabbits receiving no medication were used. All the data were recorded and analyzed using MacLab on a computer. In both the 0.1 mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg brovincamine-injected groups, the choroidal blood volume decreased significantly after administration, but showed no significant difference from controls. Vascular resistance in the choroid showed a significant increase over the value before administration and over the control group. The heart rate decreased significantly compared to the value before injection and to the control group. The mean blood pressure in both dose groups and the intraocular pressure in the 0.5 mg/kg injected group were significantly higher than the controls. These results indicate that intravenous administration of 0.1 mg/kg or 0.5 mg/kg brovincamine does not cause an increase in the choroidal blood volume in urethane-anesthetized rabbits.