HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Efficacy of miltefosine for topical treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis in Syrian hamsters.

Abstract
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a painful corneal infection and difficult to treat because no sufficiently efficient drug has yet been available. The aim of the study therefore was to assess the therapeutic potential of miltefosine on Acanthamoeba keratitis-infected hamster eyes. The cornea of hamsters were infected with Acanthamoeba hatchetti, a human corneal isolate. On the fifth day, all the cornea were microscopically examined in order to determine the degree of infections (G, from 0 to 3). Four groups were then prepared: miltefosine (160 μM); 0.1% propamidine isetionate plus 0.02% polyhexnide; infected control (0.05% ethanol in PBS) and a non-infected control (0.05% ethanol in PBS) groups. The treatment was continued for 28 days. After the treatment, the cornea were excised and used for Acanthamoeba culture to investigate the presence of Acanthamoeba growth. Miltefosine treatment yielded much higher cure scores than propamidine isetionate plus polyhexanide. On the last day of treatment, 85% of the miltefosine-treated eyes were graded as G0; no changes were observed in the uninfected control group eyes; G3 eyes showed only a partial improvement. Furthermore, no Acanthamoeba cells could be recovered from the miltefosine-treated eye samples. Miltefosine appeared to hold necessary therapeutic properties for the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis.
AuthorsZubeyde Akın Polat, Andreas Obwaller, Ayse Vural, Julia Walochnik
JournalParasitology research (Parasitol Res) Vol. 110 Issue 2 Pg. 515-20 (Feb 2012) ISSN: 1432-1955 [Electronic] Germany
PMID21748351 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Chemical References
  • Antiprotozoal Agents
  • Benzamidines
  • Biguanides
  • Phosphorylcholine
  • polihexanide
  • miltefosine
  • propamidine isethionate
Topics
  • Acanthamoeba (drug effects, isolation & purification)
  • Acanthamoeba Keratitis (drug therapy)
  • Administration, Topical
  • Animals
  • Antiprotozoal Agents (administration & dosage)
  • Benzamidines (administration & dosage)
  • Biguanides (administration & dosage)
  • Cricetinae
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mesocricetus
  • Phosphorylcholine (administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives)
  • Treatment Outcome

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: