Título / Title

LIPOSOME-ENCAPSULATED VANCOMYCIN FOR ENDOPHTHALMITIS TREATMENT IN RABBIT EYES

Introdução / Purpose

Intravitreous antibiotics used in practice for endophthalmitis treatment are rapidly cleared following injection, frequently requiring reinjections.  Pharmacokinetics studies support the hypothesis that liposomes can provide a sustained release effect after intravitreal injection and also would enhance antimicrobial efficacy. We investigated clinical and microbiological effectiveness and ocular toxicity of liposomal vancomycin in albino rabbits.

Material e Método / Methods

A total of 138 eyes of 138 albino rabbits were studied.  Pharmacokinetic preliminary study was performed to determine vitreous elimination half-life of the liposomal (18 eyes) and aqueous (18 eyes) forms of the drug.  For clinical (30 eyes) and microbiological (54 eyes) experiments, eyes previously infected with intravitreous Staphylococcus epidermidis inoculum (1,0x107 colony-forming units [CFU]/ 0,1 mL), were divided in three groups: 1. treated with liposomal vancomycin (1,0 mg/0,1mL) 24 hours after inoculation, 2. treated with the aqueous form of the antibiotic (1,0 mg/0,1mL) 24 hours after inoculation and 3. control group. Clinical analysis was conducted by the comparative analysis of inflammatory and infectious features. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by vitreous CFU/ 0.1mL. Ocular toxicity was evaluated by histopathological (8 eyes) and electroretinographic analysis (10 eyes).

Resultados / Results

Eyes treated with liposomal vancomycin reached faster sterilization of vitreous cultures. Liposomal vancomycin was not toxic to eye structures, as demonstrated by histopathological and electroretinographic experiments.

Discussão e Conclusões / Conclusion

Liposome-encapsulated vancomycin may, therefore, be useful to treat acute bacterial endophthalmitis and decrease need for reinjections.

Palavras Chave

Keywords: 1) liposome 2) vancomycin 3) endophthalmitis 4) Staphylococcus epidermidis 5) liposomal vancomycin

Area

CLINICAL RETINA