Therapeutic intervention with chicken egg white ovomacroglobulin and a new quinolone on experimental Pseudomonas keratitis.
BACKGROUND
Chicken egg white ovomacroglobulin (ovoM) is a potent protease inhibitor with broad-spectrum activity against various proteases. The combined effects of ovoM and the new quinolone, ofloxacin (OFLX) on experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis were investigated.


METHODS
The in vitro inhibitory effects of ovoM on protease activity in culture fluid of clinically isolated P. aeruginosa and on activity of human neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G were assayed using azo-casein as substrate. Albino rabbits received intrastromal injection of the isolated Pseudomonas strain (1 x 10(5) colony-forming units). At 16 h after inoculation, three treatment groups--0.1% ovoM alone, 0.3% OFLX alone, and a combination of both--and a non-treatment control group were tested.


RESULTS
Protease activity in the culture solution and human neutrophil elastase was inhibited by ovoM, whereas cathepsin G was not inhibited effectively. In vivo additive therapeutic effects of ovoM and OFLX were observed at 96 h (P < 0.05 compared with OFLX alone).


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that inhibition of proteolytic activity with ovoM is useful in preventing stromal degradation in P. aeruginosa keratitis.
Miyagawa
S
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kamata
R
R
Matsumoto
K
K
Okamura
R
R
Maeda
H
H
D000818:Animals; D056649:Cathepsin G; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000378:metabolism; D015387:Egg Proteins, Dietary / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007634:Keratitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D008259:Macroglobulins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000201:enzymology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011817:Rabbits; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins
D015387:Egg Proteins, Dietary; D008259:Macroglobulins; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; C036828:ovomacroglobulin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D002403:Cathepsins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C534094:CTSG protein, human; D056649:Cathepsin G; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase