Toxicity of intravitreal interferon alpha-2b in the rabbit.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the toxicity of single doses of intravitreally administered interferon alpha-2b in the New Zealand white albino rabbit.


METHODS
One eye each of six rabbits received an intravitreal injection of 1000, 10,000, 100,000, 500,000, 1 million or 2 million units of interferon alpha-2b reconstituted in 0.1 mL of balanced salt solution. The fellow eye of the first three rabbits received an intravitreal injection of the same volume of balanced salt solution.


METHODS
Media opacities, toxic effects to the retina, optic nerve or other ocular structures.


RESULTS
The injection of 2 million units of interferon alpha-2b elicited an immediate dense vitreous haze that largely cleared within 24 hours as well as numerous intraretinal hemorrhages that were no longer visible 7 days after injection. Histopathological study of this eye 14 days after injection showed a diffuse mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate with retinal vacuolation and ganglion cell dropout. In the remaining eyes, to dosages of 1 million units, the agent produced no clinically or pathologically evident toxic ocular effects.


CONCLUSIONS
Interferon alpha-2b appears to be safe and well tolerated up to dosages of 1 million units.
Kertes
P J
PJ
University of Ottawa Eye Institute, Ont.
Britton
W A
WA
Addison
D J
DJ
Munro
S M
SM
Marshall
D H
DH
Leonard
B C
BC
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005123:Eye / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D007267:Injections / Q000379:methods; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000473:pathology; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins