Lam T T, Fu J, Chu R, Stojack K, Siew E, Tso M O
Georgiana Dvorak Theobald Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago.
J Ocul Pharmacol. 1994 Fall;10(3):571-5. doi: 10.1089/jop.1994.10.571.
To avoid the side effects of systemic administration of ganciclovir (GCV) for the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, we studied transscleral iontophoresis of GCV into rabbit eyes. After a single application with 20% (w/w) aqueous solution of GCV at 1.0 mA for 15 min gave a vitreal/retinal level of GCV at 74 +/- 17 micrograms/ml at 2 hours as determined by HPLC. At 24 hours after iontophoresis the vitreal/retinal level was above therapeutic level at 4.2 +/- 0.6 micrograms/ml. At 72 hours, there was still detectable level in the vitreous/retina. Hence, transscleral iontophoresis is able to deliver effective dose of GCV into the vitreous. Multiple applications of iontophoresis should be examined as a possible means of CMV treatment.
