STEROID INDUCED OCULAR HYPERTENSION: AN ANIMAL MODEL

Background: Steroids are common drugs that can lead to induction of glaucoma or ocular hypertension in humans. The aim of this study was to check whether steroids can be used to induce experimental glaucoma / ocular hypertension in an animal model. Material & Methods: Betamethasone was used in an injectable dosage form. Injectable steroids took very short time to establish an animal model with raised intraocular pressure. Twenty-four healthy rabbits of a local strain weighing 1500 to 2000 grams were obtained and were kept at the animal house of the Department of Pharmacology Khyber Medical College Peshawar. The study was conducted on both eyes of 24 conscious rabbits. Two groups of animals were constituted i.e. Group A and B. Group A animals were made ocular hypertensive/ glaucomatous by injecting weekly sub-conjunctival betamethasone suspension. Group B served as the normal controls. It received no treatment during the entire research period. Results: Steroid injection was found to raise the intraocular pressure very effectively and briskly. The difference between the intraocular pressures of the two groups was statistically significant. Conclusion: It was concluded from this study that injectable suspension of betamethasone alone can induce ocular hypertension very effectively. It just took one week to raise the intraocular pressure. This animal model can confidently be used for research in pharmacology and ophthalmology to study the effects of newer drugs being tested for their anti-glaucoma effects.