title: In vitro activity of phenylmercuric acetate against ocular pathogenic fungi.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the antifungal activity of phenylmercuric acetate against ocular pathogenic fungi in vitro and develop new antifungal eye drops to combat keratomycosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The in vitro activity of phenylmercuric acetate was assessed against 261 isolates of ocular pathogenic fungi that included 136 Fusarium spp. isolates, 98 Aspergillus spp. isolates, 10 Alternaria alternata isolates and 17 other pathogens. The activity of phenylmercuric acetate was compared with the activities of amphotericin B and natamycin. In vitro susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution assay, in accordance with the CLSI (formerly NCCLS) M38-A guidelines for filamentous fungi.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MIC₉₀s of phenylmercuric acetate were 0.0156, 0.0156, 0.0156 and 0.0156 mg/L for Fusarium spp., Aspergillus spp., A. alternata and other pathogens, respectively. MIC₉₀s of amphotericin B were 2, 2, 1 and 1 mg/L for Fusarium spp., Aspergillus spp., A. alternata and other pathogens, respectively. MIC₉₀s of natamycin were 8, 32, 4 and 4 mg/L for Fusarium spp., Aspergillus spp., A. alternata and other pathogens, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Phenylmercuric acetate has promising antifungal activity, which is significantly superior to the activities of amphotericin B and natamycin against a wide variety of ocular pathogenic fungi based on comparative MIC values. Additional evaluation is required to determine its clinical utility.
authors.affiliation: Henan Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China. xuyan990301@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Dongqing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Chuanwen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Lutan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Guangren
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Shengtao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000382:microbiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010866:Natamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010662:Phenylmercuric Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000666:Amphotericin B; D010866:Natamycin; D010662:Phenylmercuric Acetate