Killing acanthamoebae with polyaminopropyl biguanide: quantitation and kinetics.
The two Acanthamoeba species most often implicated in corneal keratitis, A. castellanii and A. polyphaga, were exposed as cysts to polyaminopropyl biguanide (PAPB), a commonly used antimicrobial agent. Killing of amoeba cysts was rapid and extensive, with fewer than 2% of either species surviving 30 s of exposure to > or = 45 ppm of PAPB. Killing kinetics were biphasic, and further exposures of 15 min to 1 h killed greater than 90% of those surviving initial killing. This potency of PAPB, together with its low toxicity to humans when ingested or applied topically, underscores the potential of PAPB as an antiamoebic agent.
Burger
R M
RM
Public Health Research Institute, New York, New York 10016.
Franco
R J
RJ
Drlica
K
K
D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001645:Biguanides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
D001645:Biguanides; C064420:polyaminopropylbiguanide