title: Toxicity of vancomycin on corneal endothelium in rabbits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the toxic effect of vancomycin on the corneal endothelium related to concentrations of vancomycin.
  
  
  METHODS
  The toxic effect is assessed with a weighing method that gives a measure of endothelial function. Thirty-three rabbit corneas were divided into four groups. Three groups of seven corneas each were exposed to concentrations of 1.0 mg/ml, 3.0 mg/ml and 5.0 mg/ml vancomycin, respectively. The fourth group of twelve corneas served as a control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The corneas exposed to 1.0 mg/ml vancomycin showed no significant weight increase, while the corneas exposed to 3.0 mg/ml and 5.0 mg/ml showed a significant weight increase as compared to the control corneas. The weight increase was significantly larger in the group of corneas exposed to 5.0 mg/ml as compared to 3.0 mg/ml.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the interval of tested concentrations there is a dose response relationship between vancomycin concentrations and endothelial toxicity. This experiment shows that vancomycin in the concentration of 1.0 mg/ml is non-toxic to the endothelium, while 3.0 mg/ml and 5.0 mg/ml increasingly impair endothelial function.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Department, National Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Sandboe
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Medin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bjerknes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011817:Rabbits; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014640:Vancomycin