[An animal model of corneal bacterial infection induced by intra-corneal injection of Staphylococcus epidermidis].
OBJECTIVE
Pharmacokinetic studies of anti-bacterial agents for infectious eye diseases have usually been performed using non-infected rabbit eyes with few studies using infected animal eyes.


METHODS
In order to induce bacterial corneal inflammation in rabbit eyes, an intra-corneal injection of Staphylococcus epidermidis was done. The applied bacterial dose was 50 microliters of 1 x 10(4) cfu/ml.


RESULTS
The characteristic corneal change was well-defined ulcer formation located in a limited area and relatively elevated. The area surrounding the infected part of the cornea was rather transparent. Using these infected eyes as models, the intraocular drug dynamics of 0.3% Ofloxacin were examined. The model was successfully induced in 78.6% of the rabbits. The drug concentration in the aqueous humor was 2 times higher in the infectious eyes than in the control eyes.


CONCLUSIONS
The model might be useful for drug dynamic studies in infected eyes.
Fukuda
M
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
Inoue
A
A
Sasaki
K
K
D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007267:Injections; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011817:Rabbits; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015242:Ofloxacin