Variable effects of previously untested muscarinic receptor antagonists on experimental myopia.

PURPOSE: Atropine, pirenzepine, and himbacine prevent form-deprivation myopia (FDM) when administered intravitreously. The mechanisms and sites of action of these drugs against myopia are not clear. To shed further light on whether this mechanism is muscarinic, several other muscarinic antagonists were tested. METHODS: Various concentrations of atropine, pirenzepine, dexetimide, scopolamine, tropicamide, benztropine, dicyclomine, gallamine, mepenzolate, oxyphenonium, propantheline, procyclidine, 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine (4-DAMP), hexahydro-sila-difenidol (HHSiD), p-fluorohexahydro-sila-difenidol (pf-HHSiD), methoctramine, AFDX-116, and quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) were injected into goggled eyes of Leghorn cockerels three times at 48-hour intervals. Fellow control eyes received saline. Control animals received saline in both eyes. Twenty-four hours after final injections, refraction, eye weight, and axial length were measured, and eyes were prepared for microscopy. RESULTS: Other than atropine and pirenzepine, only oxyphenonium caused full rescue from FDM (goggled versus control; mean +/- SD; refraction differences: -9.50 +/- 0.22 D vs. 0.83 +/- 0.31 D, P < 0.001; wet weight differences: 75.67 +/- 3.84 mg vs. 2.33 +/- 6.14 mg, P < 0.001; axial length differences: 0.80 +/- 0.05 mm vs. 0.03 +/- 0.04 mm, P < 0.001). Oxyphenonium-treated retinas showed no damage. Of the other compounds, several elicited partial rescue and/or damaged the retina, whereas others had no effect. CONCLUSIONS: Oxyphenonium prevents FDM in chicks. The ineffectiveness or partial effectiveness of other compounds, coupled with the high concentrations of effective compounds required to prevent FDM, suggests that muscarinic antagonists act to prevent FDM, either at sites distant from the retina, or through a nonmuscarinic mechanism, on which only some of these drugs act.

Pharmaco-radiology in barium examinations with special reference to glucagon.

The reasons for and objections to the use of drugs as adjuncts in barium meal and follow-through examinations are briefly reviewed. Physiological factors related to gastric emptying are considered, including the volume, temperature and osmolarity. The drugs considered include those that speed gastric emptying and small bowel transit such as metoclopramide, those that delay gastric emptying such as propantheline and gastrointestinal hormones such as glucagon. Glucagon first produces gastric and duodenal dilatation and subsequently speeds transit through the small bowel. The indications, contra-indications and side effects of these drugs are also considered and tabulated.