Aerobic Responses of the Cornea to Aminoglycoside Antibiotics

The effects of the aminoglycoside antibiotics gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin on the corneal epithelium were evaluated by measurement of oxygen uptake rate following a single 60 sec application of various concentrations of each (3, 10, and 20 mg/ml gentamicin and tobramycin; 10, 20, 30, and 50 mg/ml amikacin). Statistically significant (p<0.05, Student's t-test) depressions in the oxygen uptake rate were found 1 min after exposure to all of the solutions except amikacin 10 mg/ml. The oxygen uptake returned towards baseline by 30 min after exposure. Tobramycin caused less depression in oxygen uyptake rate at each concentration level and all measurement times up to 1 hr postexposure (p<0.05). Amikacin, at concentrations used topically (30-50 mg/ml), showed results similar to those with tobramycin (10-20 mg/ml).