Anisodamine increases blood flow to the retina-choroid and protects retinal and pancreatic cells against lipid peroxidation.

This study investigated the effect of anisodamine (2 and 5 mg/kg i.v.) on ocular and systemic blood flow distribution in awake lambs using the radioactive microsphere technique. In separate in vitro studies, the effects of anisodamine (at final concentrations of 0.01 to 2.5 mg/ml) were determined on arachidonic acid, alloxan and ultraviolet radiation-induced lipid peroxidation of isolated retinal cells from rabbits and on alloxan-induced lipid peroxidation of hamster pancreatic islet beta cells. Malondialdehyde production was used as an index of lipid peroxidation and measured by the thiobarbituric acid method. Anisodamine preferentially increased blood flow and oxygen delivery to the retina-choroid and iris-ciliary body of the eye by 50-100%. Anisodamine significantly attenuated lipid peroxidation in retinal cells induced by ultraviolet radiation, alloxan and arachidonic acid by 17-50% and protected pancreatic beta cells against alloxan-induced lipid peroxidation. These properties may, in part, account for the beneficial effect of anisodamine in certain patients with diabetes.