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Antifungal Activity of a Liposomal Itraconazole Formulation in Experimental Aspergillus flavus Keratitis with Endophthalmitis

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of topical application of a liposomal formulation of itraconazole for the treatment of experimental keratitis with endophthalmitis caused by Aspergillus flavus. The liposomes were obtained by the lipid film hydration method followed by sonication. Adult female Wistar rats (weighing 200–220 g) were immunosuppressed by intraperitoneal injection of 150 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide 3 days before infection by exposure to the fungus A. flavus (107 spores/ml). Forty-eight hours later, the animals were treated with the liposomal formulation. For comparison, one group of animals (n = 6) was treated with the same drug not encapsulated. At the end of the experiment, the animals were evaluated for clinical signs and number of colony forming units (CFU/g), along with direct microscopic examination. The results indicated that the liposomal formulation of itraconazole has better antifungal activity than the unencapsulated drug in the treatment of fungal keratitis with endophthalmitis caused experimentally by A. flavus in Wistar rats.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Pernambuco State Research Foundation (FACEPE) and National Council for Research Development (CNPq).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mycology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. da Engenharia, s/n - Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, CEP: 50740-550, Brazil

    André Ferraz Goiana Leal, Melyna Chaves Leite, Caroline Sanuzi Quirino Medeiros & Rejane Pereira Neves

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Nereide Stela Santos Magalhães

  3. Keizo Asami Immunopathology Laboratory (LIKA), Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Isabella Macário Ferro Cavalcanti & Nereide Stela Santos Magalhães

  4. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Almir Gonçalves Wanderley

Authors
  1. André Ferraz Goiana Leal
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  2. Melyna Chaves Leite
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  3. Caroline Sanuzi Quirino Medeiros
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  4. Isabella Macário Ferro Cavalcanti
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  5. Almir Gonçalves Wanderley
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  6. Nereide Stela Santos Magalhães
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  7. Rejane Pereira Neves
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to André Ferraz Goiana Leal or Rejane Pereira Neves.

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Leal, A.F.G., Leite, M.C., Medeiros, C.S.Q. et al. Antifungal Activity of a Liposomal Itraconazole Formulation in Experimental Aspergillus flavus Keratitis with Endophthalmitis. Mycopathologia 179, 225–229 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-014-9837-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-014-9837-2

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