Pages 55-57 in G. Pétursdóttir et al., eds. Circumpolar Health 93. Proceedings of the 9th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Reykjavík, Iceland, June 20-25, 1993. Arctic Medical Research. 1994;53(Suppl.2)
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik
Department of Pharmacy, University of Iceland, Reykjavik
Landakot Hospital Dept. of Ophthalmology, Reykjavik, Iceland
Lyfjaverslun ríkisins, Reykjavik, Iceland
Source
Pages 55-57 in G. Pétursdóttir et al., eds. Circumpolar Health 93. Proceedings of the 9th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Reykjavík, Iceland, June 20-25, 1993. Arctic Medical Research. 1994;53(Suppl.2)
Cyclodextrins facilitate the solubility of hydrophobic compounds in aqueous solutions. This allows the use of hydrophobic drugs and lipids in aqueous eye drops containing cyclodextrin. This study examines the possible toxicity of an eye drop preparation that contains 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin and its possible efficacy as a lubricant in patients with dry eyes. Artificial tear solution that contains a lipid (cholesterol), an oligosaccharide (2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin) and saline was produced to mimic the natural tear film of the eye. The toxicity and usefulness of this drug was studied in rabbits and humans. The results demonstrate that the cyclodextrin-cholesterol artificial tear solution is well tolerated by the rabbit and human eye and is not toxic. It had therapeutic value in people with mild dryness of eyes, while those with severe dryness found no beneficial effect.