An eye drop combination for treating Staphylococcus aureus-induced keratitis in rats: repurposing ibuprofen

Infectious keratitis is a life-hindering disease that has been one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. The current study aimed to test a combination of levofloxacin and ibuprofen for treating Staphylococcus aureus-associated keratitis, with special emphasis on the potential antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) moiety. keratitis was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by abrasion in the right eye after topical anesthesia, then the wounded eyes were inoculated with a 10 µl aliquot containing Staphylococcus aureus. Rats were divided into five groups: control, infected keratitis rats, infected keratitis rats treated with 0.5% levofloxacin, infected keratitis rats treated with 0.3% ibuprofen, and infected keratitis rats treated with 0.5% levofloxacin + 0.3% ibuprofen. Treatments were given as eye drops for two weeks. Then, the corneal tissues were isolated for investigations. The molecular study showed that, among the four groups, rats treated with combined eye therapy of 0.5% levofloxacin + 0.3% ibuprofen had the lowest expression levels of inflammatory mediators, metalloproteinases, corneal angiogenesis, and the proapoptotic BCL2-associated X (Bax). Histological investigation confirmed the transcriptional changes, with the rats that received combined eye therapy showing the best therapeutic outcomes.