Retinal function assessed by ERG before and after induction of ocular aspergillosis and treatment by the anti-fungal, micafungin, in rabbits.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a new antifungal drug, micafungin, and standard antifungal drugs against endophthalmitis induced in a rabbit by intravitreal injection of Aspergillus fumigatus, an important fungal pathogen. Effectiveness was evaluated by the preservation of b-wave amplitude at 72 h after injection of the fungus relative to the b-wave amplitude at baseline before any intravitreal injections. A 0.06 ml inoculum of 10(6) conidia of A. fumigatus was injected into the vitreous of the right eye of all rabbits; and, 12 h later, a 0.06 ml solution containing one of 3 antifungal drugs or saline was injected into the vitreous of both eyes. All three antifungal drugs produced significant b-wave preservation at 72 h in infected eyes compared to that in infected eyes receiving saline injections. There was no statistically significant difference between the effects of micafungin and amphotericin B in the right eyes with fungal endophthalmitis, and both produced significantly more preservation of b-wave amplitude than voriconazole. Amphotericin B, but neither micafungin nor voriconazole produced significant reduction of the b-wave amplitude in the left eyes.
Harrison
Joseph M
JM
Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900, USA. harrisonj@uthscsa.edu
Glickman
Randolph D
RD
Ballentine
Charles S
CS
Trigo
Yolanda
Y
Pena
Melanie A
MA
Kurian
Pearl
P
Najvar
Laura K
LK
Kumar
Neeru
N
Patel
Ankit H
AH
Sponsel
William E
WE
Graybill
John R
JR
Lloyd
William C
WC
Miller
Margaret M
MM
Paris
Gianmarco
G
Trujillo
Fernando
F
Miller
Aaron
A
Melendez
Robert
R
D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000254:growth & development; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D054714:Echinocandins; D004596:Electroretinography; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D055666:Lipopeptides; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077551:Micafungin; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000382:microbiology; D065819:Voriconazole
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D054714:Echinocandins; D055666:Lipopeptides; D008074:Lipoproteins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011743:Pyrimidines; D014230:Triazoles; D000666:Amphotericin B; D065819:Voriconazole; D000077551:Micafungin