Studies on the ocular hypotensive effect of Diamox

In our studies on the hypotensive effect of Diamox by intravenous injection, we have arrived at the following conclusions. 1. Ocular tension falls and the flow of aqueous humor becomes sluggish. 2. Diamox inhibits the activity of carbonic anhydrase, and the concentrations of HCO3-, K+, Cl- and glucose are markedly altered. 3. Protein increases both in blood and aqueous humor, but no change in protein fraction can be observed in blood. 4. Diamox in no way affects the metabolism. 5. It seems that Diamox brings about the change in the specific gravity of blood, making the latter either more diluted or more concentrated. From these, we conclude that the mechanism of the loweing of ocular tension by Diamox seems to lie in the fact that it inhibits the activity of carbonic anhydrase, and that consequent alteration in the concentrations of HCO3- and other ions accompanied by the change in osmotic pressure as well as a slight decrease of water in tissue all bring about the fall in the ocular tension. However, Diamox seems to have nothing to do with aqueous humor in so far as active transport or permeability are concerned.