Neuroprotective effect of ocular hypotensive agent brimonidine

The ocular hypotensive agent brimonidine has been shown to be neuroprotective in a mechanical insult model of the optic nerve. We investigated the possible mechanism for this effect and found that brimonidine significantly increased retinal bFGF expression after systemic or topical application. We also found that in the rat hippocampal primary neuronal culture, brimonidine significantly protected neurons from kainic acid insult. The protection correlates with the bFGF upregulation induced by brimonidine in this culture. These data suggest that brimonidine is an effective ocular hypotensive agent with neuroprotective properties. Upregulation of bFGF in neuronal tissues may be one possible mechanism for brimonidine's neuroprotective effect.