Abstract
Purpose
This study was performed to compare the effect of fourth-generation fluoroquinolones gatifloxacin on epithelial healing and penetration into the aqueous humor following corneal epithelial removal. The administered drugs were Zymar TM and Gatiflo®, which differ from each other by the presence of benzalkonium chloride.
Methods
Eighteen eyes of nine New Zealand white rabbits were randomized to receive either Zymar TM or Gatiflo® following anterior keratectomy with a diameter of 6.0 mm. Eyes were dosed with either antibiotic according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval; specifically, Zymar TM and Gatiflo® were dosed every two hours for the first two days and then four times daily for the following five days. Starting from postoperative day 0, photos were taken daily to measure the area of the residual epithelial defects. Anterior chamber paracentesis was performed to determine the drug concentration at postoperative days 1, 2, and 7.
Results
The mean healing times after Zymar TM and Gatiflo® treatment were 3.0±0.71 and 3.2±0.84 days, respectively ( P=0.813). No statistically significant differences in the mean healing time and the mean area of the healed corneal wound were noted between the two groups. No difference in anterior chamber concentration was observed between the two groups at postoperative day 7 ( P=0.362).
References
1. Pestova E, Millichap JJ, Noskin GA, Peterson LR. Intracellular targets of moxifloxacin : a comparison with other fluoroquinolones. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2000; 45:583–90.
2. Mather R, Karenchak LM, Romnowski EG, Kowalski RP. Fourth generation fluoroquinolones: new weapons in the arsenal of ophthalmic antibiotics. Am J Ophthalmol. 2002; 133:463–6.
3. Tonjum AM. Effects of benzalkonium chloride upon the corneal epithelium with scanning electron microscopy. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh). 1975; 53:358–66.
4. Becquet F, Goldschild M, Moldovan MS. . Histopathological effects of topical ophthalmic preservatives on rat corneoconjunctival surface. Curr Eye Res. 1998; 17:419–25.
5. Ichijima H, Petroll WM, Jester JV. . Confocal microscopic studies of living rabbit cornea treated with benzalkonium chloride. Cornea. 1992; 11:221–5.
6. Tripathi BJ, Tripathi RC, Kolli SP. Cytotoxicity of ophthalmic preservatives on human corneal epithelium. Lens Eye Tox Res. 1992; 9:361–75.
7. Brignole F, Bringuier A. . Effects of benzalkonium chloride on growth and survival of Chang conjunvtival cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1999; 40:619–30.
8. Baudouin C, Pisella PJ, Fillacier K. . Ocular surface inflammatory changes induced by topical antiglaucoma drugs: human and animal studies. Ophthalmology. 1999; 106:556–63.
9. Noecker RJ. Effects of common ophthalmic preservatives on ocular health. Adv Ther. 2001; 18:205–15.
10. . . Effects of antiglaucoma drugs on ocular surface. Acta Ophthalmol Scand. 1995; 73:246–8.
11. Tu J, Li P, Yang X, Pang H. HPLC determination of pirenzepine dihydrochloride in rabbit aqueous humor. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2005; 822:300 -3.
12. Solomon R, Donnenfeld ED, Perry HD. . Penetration of topically applied gatifloxacin 0.3%, moxifloxacin 0.5%, and ciprofloxacin 0.3% into the aqueous humor. Ophthalmology. 2005; 112:466–9.
13. Hairui L, Michael BK, Kevin MS. Separation of levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, trovafloxacin and cinoxacin by high‐ performance liquid chromatography: application to levefloxacin determination in human plasma. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2002; 772:53–63.
14. Donnenfeld ED. . Infectious keratitis after photorefractive keratectomy. Ophthalmology. 2003; 110:743–7.
15. Becker K, Hungermann D, Busse H.Methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus keratitis after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2002; 28:722–4.
16. Goldstein MH, Kowalski RP, Gordon YJ. Emerging fluoroquinolone resistance in bacterial keratitis. Ophthalmology. 1999; 106:1313–8.
17. Kowalski RP, Dhaliwal DK, Karenchak LM. . Gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin: an in vitro susceptibility comparison to levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin using bacterial keratitis isolates. Am J Ophthalmol. 2003; 136:500–5.
18. Kovoor TA, Kim AS, McCulley JP. . Evaluation of the corneal effects of topical ophthalmic fluoroquinolones using in vivo confocal microscopy. Eye Contact Lens. 2004; 30:90–4.
19. Mahendra SR, Dipak KM. Effect of formulation factors on in vitro transcorneal permeation of gatifloxacin from aqueous drops. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2006; 7:57–62.
Table 1.
Table 2.
Days | Drug TM® | P-value | |
---|---|---|---|
Zymar TM | Gatiflo® | ||
1 | 0 | 0 | |
2 | 2 | 2 | |
3 | 4 | 3 | |
4 | 5 | 5 | |
Average | 3.0±0.71 | 3.2±0.84 | 0.813 |