Travoprost Lowers Intraocular Pressure in Healthy Student Volunteers in a Nigerian Medical School

We evaluated the change in diurnal intraocular pressure (IOP) induced by the instillation of single dose travoprost 0.004% and placebo into the eyes of 20 healthy African volunteers in a randomized double masked, placebo controlled, crossover, single centre study. Pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and respiratory rate were also measured. Mean IOP was lower than baseline values up to 72 hours after instillation but the mean IOP was significantly lower in the eyes that received travoprost compared to eyes that received placebo at 6 hours (p < 0.007), 12 hours (p < 0.019), and 24 hours (p < 0.001) after drug administration. Maximum IOP reduction was observed at 12 hours for travoprost and placebo with IOP lowered to 9.2mmHg ± 0.6mmHg (mean + SEM) compared to 11.1mmHg ± 0.6mmHg for placebo. The maximum reduction of IOP from baseline values was more with travoprost 4.3mmHg ± 2.5mmHg (31%) versus 3.2mmHg ± 2.1mmHg (22%) for placebo although not statistically significant. There was minimal intraocular pressure reduction in the fellow eye which did not receive travoprost, but the reduction in IOP was not significantly lower in fellow eyes that received placebo. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and respiratory rates were unaffected by travoprost. This study suggests that a single dose of travoprost lowers the IOP more in eyes of indigenous African volunteers compared with placebo. The IOP lowering effect was for up to 72 hours after drug application. No adverse effect was observed in blood pressure and respiratory rates.