Study of the pharmacological impact of polymeric membranes with antibacterial effect in traumatic lesions of cornea

Abstract

Introduction: The most common pathology among patients with acute eye infection is conjunctivitis – 78%, keratitis accounts for 14%. The most common infectious agent causing acute infection of the eye is Staphylococcus (55%). The opacity of the cornea in the overall structure of the causes of blindness in the world in 2015 accounted for 3.25% of total blindness and 1.14% in the structure of moderate or severe decline in vision.

Materials and methods: The object of the study is antibacterial polymer films based on sodium carboxymethylcellulose, levofloxacin and poludan. In the in vivo experiment was modeled on the adult rabbits, an infected corneal injury in three groups. An infected corneal injury was modeled by removing the corneal epithelium and applying a suspension of microorganisms in the amount of 1 million colonies of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 to the affected area. In the experiment, 3 groups were studied: the control group (“placebo” treatment – instillation of distilled water 4 times a day), the comparison group (treatment with levofloxacin 0.5% in the form of instillations 4 times a day and poludan twice a day), the experimental group (treatment using antibacterial polymer films with immunomodulating effect once a day). The area of the defect on the cornea was evaluated by staining with a 1% solution of sodium fluorescein. The scoring of the clinical course of the post-traumatic infection of the cornea was performed using the semantic differential method after injury and infection, after 1 hour, 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days.

Results and Discussion: In the study of the rates of resorption of the antibacterial membrane, as well as the release of active substances from the polymer, complete dissolution of the sample was detected within 30 hours. Based on the results of the study of the rate of resorption of the volume of the polymer membrane, a decrease in the index over a period of 24 hours in a physiological solution was found to be 4.5-fold. A weak dependence of the adhesion force on the parameters of the microrelief of the polymer membrane was revealed. The fastest rates of complete restoration of the integrity of the epithelium of the cornea were revealed in the experimental group. In the comparison group, the cornea was completely regenerated on the 7^th day.

Conclusions: Under the conditions of the in vitro experiment, it was found that the antibacterial polymer membrane gradually dissolves, releasing the active components within 24 hours. When assessing the area of the defect of the cornea after an infected traumatic lesion, it was found that the treatment with polymeric antibacterial membranes with immunomodulating effect resulted in the reduction in the duration of treatment to 5 days.