Research Information System
OPHTHALMIC RESEARCH, vol.33, no.4, pp.228-236, 2001 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
This study was performed to examine the retinal toxicity of trovafloxacin, a broad-spectrum fourth-generation fluoroquinolone, in rabbit eyes after intravitreal injection. The left eyes of 20 albino rabbits were divided into four groups, and each was injected intravitreally with 0.1 ml of trovafloxacin in a 50-mug, 100-mug, 250-mug or 500-mug concentration. The right eyes of these rabbits served as control and received normal saline solution. Retinal function was assessed from the electroretinogram (ERG), and retinal structure was also examined by ophthalmoscopy and histologic study (light microscopy). The intravitreal injections of 50 mug, 100 mug, and 250 mug trovafloxacin did not significantly change the ERG a-wave, b-wave or the oscillatory potential throughout the follow-up period of 4 weeks. While no ERG changes were observed at 4 weeks after injection, in the 3 eyes that received trovaloxacin 500 mug/0.1 ml, the a-wave amplitudes showed a diminution of 56-49% and those of b-waves one of 53-44% of the preinjection amplitudes at 4 weeks after injection, but oscillatory potentials remained unchanged in the other 2 rabbits intravitreally injected with 500 mug trovafloxacin. However, in none of the injected eyes and the control eyes in all groups were ophthalmoscopically visible fundus changes and histologic abnormality observed. The results suggest that intravitreally injected trovafloxacin at a dose of up to 500 mug is nontoxic to the rabbit retina. If future studies in other species confirm our findings, intravitreal trovafloxacin may be a good alternative in the treatment and prevention of clinical bacterial enclophthalmitis. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basal.