The effects of caspofungin and voriconazole in experimental Candida endophthalmitis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of newly developed antifungal agents caspofungin and voriconazole in Candida albicans endophthalmitis in rabbit eyes.


METHODS
Thirty New Zealand white rabbits were divided into four treatment groups and one control group. One eye of each rabbit was infected by inoculation of 1 x 10(4) CFU/ml of C. albicans. Seventy-two hours after the inoculation, caspofungin 100 microg/0.1 ml in group 1 (n = 6), voriconazole 50 microg/0.1 ml in group 2 (n = 6), amphotericin B 10 microg/0.1 ml in group 3 (n = 6), itraconazole 10 microg/0.1 ml in group 4 (n = 6), and 0.1 ml NaCl 0.9% in control group (n = 6) were injected into the vitreous cavity. Clinical and histopathologic examination scores and microbiological analysis of vitreous aspirates were compared.


RESULTS
There was statistically significant difference in the clinical scores, histopathologic scores, and mean CFU/ml between the treatment and control groups (p < 0.05). In caspofungin and voriconazole groups, histopathologic scores and mean CFU were lower than other treatment groups and control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravitreal injection of caspofungin and voriconazole was effective against C. albicans endophthalmitis in this experimental rabbit model.
Kusbeci
Tuncay
T
Department of Ophthalmology, Kocatepe University School of Medicine, Afyon, Turkey. tkusbeci@yahoo.com
Avci
Berrin
B
Cetinkaya
Zafer
Z
Ozturk
Faruk
F
Yavas
Güliz
G
Ermis
Sitki Samet
SS
Inan
Umit Ubeyt
UU
D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000254:growth & development; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D000077336:Caspofungin; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003315:Cornea / Q000382:microbiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D054714:Echinocandins; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055666:Lipopeptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011817:Rabbits; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065819:Voriconazole
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D054714:Echinocandins; D055666:Lipopeptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011743:Pyrimidines; D014230:Triazoles; D017964:Itraconazole; D000666:Amphotericin B; D000077336:Caspofungin; D065819:Voriconazole