Determination of drug concentration in aqueous humor of cataract patients
administered gatifloxacin ophthalmic gel.
Author(s): Liu X, Wang NL, Wang YL, Ma C, Ma L, Gao LX, Huang YX, Xiong SH, Wang K.
Affiliation(s): Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University,
Beijing 100730, China.
Publication date & source: 2010, Chin Med J (Engl). , 123(15):2105-10
BACKGROUND: Ophthalmic gel has been developed to increase the drug concentration
in aqueous humor and to retard the loss of drug from the conjunctival sac. The
research was to compare the drug concentration in aqueous humor of cataract
patients administered 0.3% gatifloxacin ophthalmic gel with that in patients
administered 0.3% gatifloxacin ophthalmic solution.
METHODS: Ninety-six patients with cataract (96 eyes) were randomly assigned to 8
groups. The patients in groups 1-4 received topical gatifloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic
gel and those in groups 5-8 received gatifloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution. The
dose regimen was 1 drop, 4 times a day for 3 consecutive days prior to cataract
surgery. On the day of surgery, 1 drop was applied at 15, 30, 60 or 120 minutes
before commencement of cataract surgery in groups 1 and 5, groups 2 and 6, groups
3 and 7, and groups 4 and 8, respectively. Aqueous humor was extracted during the
cataract surgery for the analysis of gatifloxacin concentration..
RESULTS: The concentrations of gatifloxacin in aqueous humor were (0.24 +/- 0.25)
microg/ml, (1.11 +/- 0.74) microg/ml, (2.32 +/- 2.01) microg/ml and (1.85 +/-
1.14) microg/ml in groups 1 to 4, and (0.16 +/- 0.25) microg/ml, (0.31 +/- 0.24)
microg/ml, (0.75 +/- 0.28) microg/ml and (0.33 +/- 0.22) microg/ml in groups 5 to
8, respectively. Patients receiving gatifloxacin ophthalmic gel showed greater
mean values of gatifloxacin concentration in aqueous humor than those receiving
gatifloxacin solution, and such differences were significant with P < 0.05 for
all comparisons except that between groups 1 and 5.
CONCLUSION: Topical gatifloxacin ophthalmic gel can attain significantly greater
drug concentrations in human aqueous humor than gatifloxacin ophthalmic solution.
|