Lomefloxacin is an effective treatment of experimental bacterial keratitis.
OBJECTIVE
Lomefloxacin was evaluated as a potential topical therapy for bacterial keratitis.


METHODS
Lomefloxacin was compared with ciprofloxacin in different rabbit keratitis models. A total of 216 corneas were infected with Staphylococcus aureus (ciprofloxacin-susceptible and -resistant), Streptococcus viridans, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens and were treated with lomefloxacin (0.3%), ciprofloxacin (0.3% Ciloxan), and the control phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), respectively. The data were analyzed statistically comparing the decrease in the number of recovered viable bacteria.


RESULTS
Compared with PBS-treated control corneas, the colony counts for all bacterial isolates were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) after topical treatment with either lomefloxacin or ciprofloxacin. For gram-positive bacteria, lomefloxacin and ciprofloxacin were equally effective. For gram-negative bacteria, lomefloxacin, while effective, was less so than ciprofloxacin under experimental conditions (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data, using multiple bacterial keratitis models, suggest that lomefloxacin is promising for therapy of bacterial keratitis. Further clinical studies are needed to expand its use for keratitis therapy.
Kowalski
R P
RP
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh and Medical Center, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. Kowalskirp@msx.upmc.edu
Romanowski
E G
EG
Yates
K A
KA
Gordon
Y J
YJ
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D007634:Keratitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D023421:Models, Animal; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D015363:Quinolones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011817:Rabbits
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D015363:Quinolones; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; C053091:lomefloxacin