Toxicity and efficacy of intravitreal injection of spartanamicin B in the treatment of Candida endophthalmitis.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the retinal toxicity of spartanamicin B and its efficacy in a rabbit model of Candidal endophthalmitis.


METHODS
Toxicity. Fourteen albino rabbit eyes were injected intravitreally with spartanamicin B (1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 microg); 2 eyes received the vehicle alone. Efficacy. Ten rabbit eyes were inoculated with 3000 Candida organisms which caused endophthalmitis in 24 hours. Eight eyes were treated with intravitreal spartanamicin B in doses of 1, 2, 5, or 10 microg/0.1 ml; 2 untreated eyes served as controls.


RESULTS
Toxicity. The eyes injected with < or =10 microg and the control group eyes exhibited no clinical, histological, or electroretinographic evidence of retinal toxicity. Doses >10 microg caused vitritis. Efficacy. Clinical examination of the treated eyes showed a gradual improvement over 3-6 days; mild opacities remained until day 14. Results of cultures performed 15 days after infection were negative in all treated eyes.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravitreally injected spartanamicin B (10 microg) is nontoxic to the retina, effective against C. albicans in the endophthalmitis model in the rabbit eye and caused no discernible histological changes in the retina.
Serracarbassa
P D
PD
LSU Eye Center, Louisiana State University Medical Center School of Medicine, New Orleans 70112-2234, USA.
Peyman
G A
GA
Liang
C
C
Calixto
N
N
Nair
M G
MG
D000818:Animals; D018943:Anthracyclines; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004596:Electroretinography; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007267:Injections; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
D018943:Anthracyclines; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000935:Antifungal Agents; C078842:spartanamicin B