Fimbrolide-coated antimicrobial lenses: their in vitro and in vivo effects.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the ability of contact lenses coated with fimbrolides, inhibitors of bacterial quorum sensing, to prevent microbial adhesion and their safety during short-term clinical assessment.


METHODS
A fimbrolide was covalently attached to commercially available high Dk contact lenses. Subsequently Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens, or Acanthamoeba sp. were added to the lenses and control uncoated contact lenses. Lenses plus microbes were incubated for 24 h, then washed thoroughly to remove non-adherent microbes. Lenses were macerated and resulting slurry plated onto agar plates. After appropriate incubation, the numbers of colony forming units of bacteria (or numbers of Acanthamoeba trophozoites measured using a hemocytometer) from fimbrolide-coated and uncoated lenses were examined. A Guinea Pig model of lens wear was used to assess the safety of lenses worn on a continuous basis for 1 month. In a separate study, 10 subjects wore fimbrolide-coated lenses for 24 h. The responses of the Guinea Pigs and human volunteers to the lenses were assessed by slit lamp examination.


RESULTS
The fimbrolides-coated lenses reduced the adhesion of all bacterial strains tested, with reductions occurring of between 67 and 92%. For Acanthamoeba a reduction of 70% was seen. There were no significant differences in ocular responses to fimbrolide-coated lenses compared with controls in either the 1 month animal model or overnight human trial.


CONCLUSIONS
Fimbrolide-coated lenses show promise as an antibacterial and anti-acanthamoebal coating on contact lenses and appear to be safe when worn on the eye in an animal model.
Zhu
Hua
H
Institute for Eye Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Kumar
Ajay
A
Ozkan
Jerome
J
Bandara
Rani
R
Ding
Aidong
A
Perera
Indrani
I
Steinberg
Peter
P
Kumar
Naresh
N
Lao
William
W
Griesser
Stefani S
SS
Britcher
Leanne
L
Griesser
Hans J
HJ
Willcox
Mark D P
MD
D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003262:Contact Lenses, Extended-Wear; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents