pilocarpine
/ˌpʌɪlə(ʊ)ˈkɑːpiːn
/noun [mass noun] Chemistry
A volatile alkaloid obtained from jaborandi leaves, used to contract the pupils and to relieve pressure in the eye in glaucoma patients.The plant's leaves contain pilocarpine, a rare alkaloid used in the treatment of glaucoma and when diagnosing cystic fibrosis....
- Parasympathomimetic drugs such as pilocarpine constrict the pupil and ‘pull’ on the trabecular meshwork, increasing the flow of aqueous out of the eye.
- Oral pilocarpine is contraindicated in patients with uncontrolled asthma and in patients in whom miosis is undesirable, such as patients with acute iritis or narrow angle (angle closure) glaucoma.
Origin
Late 19th century: from modern Latin Pilocarpus (genus name of the jaborandi) + -ine4.