The most important risk factor for the development of glaucoma is elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Hypotensive drugs decrease IOP, preventing optic nerve damage and further vision loss. The balance between aqueous humor (AH) production and drainage determines IOP, and problems in AH outflow pathways are associated with open-angle glaucoma development. Previous studies have shown the presence of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap 4 A) and pentaphosphate (Ap 5 A) in the AH. Topic application of Ap 4 A to the cornea decreased IOP, whereas Ap 5 A increased it. Because dinucleoside polyphosphates stimulate P2Y purinergic receptors, we studied their presence in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells. Additionally, the effects of diadenosine polyphosphates (Ap n As; n ϭ 3-5) and Up 4 U (P 1 ,P 4 -(diuridine 5Ј)-tetraphosphate; INS365) in outflow facility were tested. P2Y 1 , P2Y 2 , and P2Y 4 receptors were detected in TM cells by Western blot and immunocytochemistry. In TM cells, Ap 3 A, Ap 4 A, and Ap 5 A induced discrete intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2ϩ ] i ) mobilizations compared with higher and more sustained [Ca 2ϩ ] i mobilizations after Up 4 U application. In bovine ocular anterior segments perfused at constant pressure, 1 M Ap 3 A or Ap 4 A increased outflow facility, whereas Up 4 U or Ap 5 A did not modify it. 2-MeSADP, a selective P2Y 1 agonist, induced outflow facility increases similar to those obtained after Ap 3 A and Ap 4 A, and these were prevented by addition of the selective P2Y 1 receptor antagonist MRS-2179 (2Ј-deoxy-N 6 -methyladenosine-3Ј,5Ј-diphosphate). Our results demonstrate that the hypotensive effect of Ap 4 A and other dinucleotides is mediated, at least in part, by increasing trabecular outflow facility through activation of P2Y 1 receptors. The latter would seem to be an interesting target in the development of antiglaucomatous drugs to selectively increase AH outflow.In the eye, elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) due to impaired aqueous humor (AH) drainage is a major risk factor in the development of glaucoma. Glaucoma is the most important cause of irreversible nontraumatic blindness in the world and affects more than 66 million people. The main determinant of IOP is the volume of AH contained in the anterior and posterior chambers. AH is produced in the ciliary epithelium and eliminated through the outflow pathways in the anterior chamber angle. In several species, but especially in the primate eye, most AH flows through the trabecular meshwork (TM), a sponge-like filtering tissue, where it reaches Schlemm's canal and the collector channels before finally entering the venous system. The structure of the TM and its ability to modify its resistance to AH outflow play a key role in maintaining the IOP in the anterior chamber within its physiological range. TM cells express several receptors to substances released either in the AH from different ocular tissues (Mitchell et al., 1998;Coca-Prados et al., 1999) or from ocular innervation (Selbach et al., 2000) in physiologic...