Abstract
Purpose :
Purpose: To investigate the effects of intraconazole on choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in an animal model of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Methods :
Methods: Experimental CNV lesions were induced in C57BL/6 mice by laser photocoagulation. Beginning1 day after CNV induction, mice were treated with 2ul of 1% Intraconazole or vehicle for 2 weeks. In other groups of mice, Intraviteal itraconazole or vehicle treatment was started 7 days after the laser application to determine the effect of the drug on established CNV. Untreated mice were used as a baseline group. Two weeks after laser injury, the extent of CNV was assessed from choroidal flat mounts perfused with fluorescein-labeled dextran.
Immunofluorescence staining with isolectin IB4 was also used to quantify the CNV lesions.
Results :
Results: Intravitreal administered Intraconzole inhibited CNV growth in the laser-induced CNV model. Itraconazole caused a 72.3% inhibition of CNV lesions compared to vehicle-treatment (p < 0.001). Itraconazole also caused a significant regression of established CNV, reducing the area by 71.8% compared to vehicle treatment (p < 0.001). Moreover, immunofluorescence staining showed that the area of isolectin IB4 labeled vessels was smaller in the Itrazonazole treated group compared to the vehicle-treated group (p < 0.001).
Conclusions :
Conclusions: Itraconzole effectively inhibits the progression of CNV in an experimental animal model. These results suggest that Itraconazole could constitute a therapeutic alternative for the treatment of neovascular AMD.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.