Oxidative stress in the closed-eyelid test: management of glaucoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of antioxidant drugs in the tonometric increase that follows the closed eyelid test (CET), a predicitive test for glaucoma, after administration of antioxidant substances was observed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 30 subjects of 54.57 +/- 5.62 years, 13 males and 17 females, were examined by measuring the ocular pressure after 1 hour from the CET, both in normal conditions and after the administration of antioxidants such as: vitamin A (50,000 IU/die), vitamin E (600 mg/die), and vitamin C (1000 mg/die).The increases in temperature of the iridocorneal angle and of the iris were also measured in the same conditions with an infrared Thermo-Precision tonometer (So la Electro-Optics, China) both before and after CET. RESULTS: The results showed increased pressure after CET and decreased pressure after the administration of each antioxidant substance, although vitamin A was found to be more effective and with statistically significant values compared to vitamins E and C. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the responses obtained after administration of antioxidant drugs, the ocular hypertension induced after CET could be a response to mixed stress, oxidative and thermic, with degenerative effects on the trabecular meshwork (TM). Besides, in light of these considerations the research results underline that the open angle glaucoma (OAG) should be considered a multifactorial degenerative disease.