Does topical phenylephrine, tropicamide, or proparacaine affect macular blood flow?

The acute effect of topical phenylephrine HCl 10%, tropicamide 1% and proparacaine HCl 0.5% on macular capillary blood flow was studied in six healthy human volunteers using the blue field simulation technique. This technique provides a method for quantifying the velocity of leukocytes flowing in one's own retinal macular capillaries. Patients adjusted the velocity of computer simulated leukocytes moving on a CRT screen to match that of their own entoptically perceived leukocytes before instillation of each of the tested preparations and for 35 minutes immediately thereafter A 5% NaCl solution was used as a control. We found no significant difference in leukocyte velocity between the control drop and any of the tested drugs. With the six subjects tested, the calculated average minimum percentage change in leukocyte velocity detectable with this technique (P less than 0.05, paired t-test) was 9%. None of the tested drugs affected macular leukocyte velocity, and presumably blood flow, by more than this amount.