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Lomefloxacin is an effective treatment of experimental bacterial keratitis
R P Kowalski1, E G Romanowski, K A Yates
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh and Medical Center, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. Kowalskirp@msx.upmc.edu
Purpose:
Lomefloxacin was evaluated as a potential topical therapy for bacterial keratitis.
Methods:
Lomefloxacin was compared with ciprofloxacin in different rabbit keratitis models. A total of 216 corneas were infected with Staphylococcus aureus (ciprofloxacin-susceptible and -resistant), Streptococcus viridans, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens and were treated with lomefloxacin (0.3%), ciprofloxacin (0.3% Ciloxan), and the control phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), respectively. The data were analyzed statistically comparing the decrease in the number of recovered viable bacteria.
Results:
Compared with PBS-treated control corneas, the colony counts for all bacterial isolates were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) after topical treatment with either lomefloxacin or ciprofloxacin. For gram-positive bacteria, lomefloxacin and ciprofloxacin were equally effective. For gram-negative bacteria, lomefloxacin, while effective, was less so than ciprofloxacin under experimental conditions (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Our data, using multiple bacterial keratitis models, suggest that lomefloxacin is promising for therapy of bacterial keratitis. Further clinical studies are needed to expand its use for keratitis therapy.
Insights
Lomefloxacin shows promise as a topical treatment for bacterial keratitis, effectively reducing bacterial counts in rabbit models. While equally effective against gram-positive bacteria, it was less potent than ciprofloxacin against gram-negative strains.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Microbiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Bacterial keratitis is a serious eye infection requiring effective antimicrobial therapy.
- Topical fluoroquinolones are commonly used, but resistance is a growing concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate lomefloxacin as a potential topical treatment for bacterial keratitis.
- To compare the efficacy of lomefloxacin with ciprofloxacin in experimental keratitis models.
Main Methods:
- Rabbit keratitis models were established using various bacterial pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens.
- Corneas were treated with topical lomefloxacin (0.3%), ciprofloxacin (0.3%), or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS).
- Bacterial viability was assessed by colony counts, and data were statistically analyzed.
Main Results:
- Both lomefloxacin and ciprofloxacin significantly reduced bacterial colony counts compared to PBS controls (p < 0.05).
- Lomefloxacin demonstrated equal efficacy to ciprofloxacin against gram-positive bacterial isolates.
- Lomefloxacin was effective but less potent than ciprofloxacin against gram-negative bacterial isolates (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Lomefloxacin exhibits promising therapeutic potential for bacterial keratitis based on these experimental findings.
- Further clinical investigations are warranted to establish the role of lomefloxacin in treating human bacterial keratitis.