Intravitreal moxifloxacin: retinal safety study with electroretinography and histopathology in animal models.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether moxifloxacin can be used safely as an intraocular antibiotic, retinal safety of intravitreal moxifloxacin was studied with electroretinography (ERG) and histopathology in animal models.


METHODS
Moxifloxacin was injected into mouse eyes at intravitreal concentrations of 5 to 500 microg/mL and into rabbit eyes at 150 microg/mL. As the control, the vehicle was injected into the fellow eyes of each animal. Four weeks after injection, ERG recordings were performed, and animal eyes were processed for histologic examination.


RESULTS
ERG studies showed no significant difference between control and moxifloxacin-injected eyes at any dose in either the mouse or rabbit model. Histologic examination revealed no retinal abnormality in mice at 5 to 100 microg/mL or in rabbits at 150 microg/mL intravitreal moxifloxacin. In mice at 500 microg/mL, occasional focal retinal necroses were observed, suggesting isolated retinal toxicity at this concentration of moxifloxacin.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravitreal moxifloxacin, up to 100 microg/mL in mice or 150 microg/mL in rabbits, caused no ERG or retinal histologic abnormality. These results indicate that moxifloxacin is a safe intravitreal antibiotic in mouse and rabbit animal models. If proven safe and efficacious by further study in humans, intravitreal injection of moxifloxacin could be considered as an alternative to currently used antibiotics in selected patients with resistance or allergy to the more traditional antibiotics.
Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA. hgao@iupui.edu
Hua
H
Gao
Mark E
ME
Pennesi
Xiaoxi
X
Qiao
Mohan N
MN
Iyer
Samuel M
SM
Wu
Eric R
ER
Holz
William F
WF
Mieler
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D001372:Aza Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000187:drug effects*; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D007267:Injections; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal; D000077266:Moxifloxacin; D011804:Quinolines / Q000633:toxicity*; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D014822:Vitreous Body
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001372:Aza Compounds; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D011804:Quinolines; D000077266:Moxifloxacin