MELANOTROPIC DRUGS AND RETINAL FUNCTIONS

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Abstract
The present work is the first in a series of investigations on the effects of melanotropic drugs on retinal function. Teh changes in the conventional ERG of the dark-adapted, intact sheep eye were studied after iv administrations of quinine and chloroquine. Both drugs influenced the ERG in principally the same way. Small doses changed only the c-wave amplitude which began to oscillate after a delay of about 1 hour. Larger doses had an immediate effect on both the b- and c-waves. The b-wave amplitude dropped and the c-wave showed an initial peak followed by oscillatory changes about 1 h later. These late changes were similar to those observed after administration of small doses of the drugs. The present results indicate that small doses of quinine and chlorquine have a delayed effect on the pigment epithelial cells, while larger doses exert a more immediate and general retinotoxic effect.