June 2021
Volume 62, Issue 8
Open Access
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2021
An experimental model of Escherichia coli-induced endophthalmitis in rodents
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Pavlina Tsoka
    Laboratory of Optics and Vision, University of Crete Medical School, Heraklion, Greece
  • Effie Scoulica
    Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Microbiology, University of Crete Medical School, Greece
  • Eleni Magkafouraki
    Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Microbiology, University of Crete Medical School, Greece
  • Miltiadis K Tsilimbaris
    Laboratory of Optics and Vision, University of Crete Medical School, Heraklion, Greece
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Pavlina Tsoka, None; Effie Scoulica, None; Eleni Magkafouraki, None; Miltiadis Tsilimbaris, None
  • Footnotes
    Support  Partnership Agreement for the Development Framework 2014-2020 (Greece)
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2021, Vol.62, 1962. doi:
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      Pavlina Tsoka, Effie Scoulica, Eleni Magkafouraki, Miltiadis K Tsilimbaris; An experimental model of Escherichia coli-induced endophthalmitis in rodents. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2021;62(8):1962.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose : Bacterial endophthalmitis can lead to significant vision loss even after prompt and proper treatment. So far, there are only a handful of studies on experimental models of bacterial endophthalmitis due to gram-negative organisms in small rodents. The purpose of this study was to establish an Escherichia coli-induced experimental model of endophthalmitis in rats suitable for potential pharmaceutical intervention.

Methods : Bacterial endophthalmitis was induced in both male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals received an intravitreal injection of viable Escherichia coli (E. coli) of two different strains; U13 which is susceptible to moxifloxacin and U27 which has an inducible resistance to moxifloxacin. Several inocula were tested in a range from 10.000 colony – forming units (CFUs)/eye to 840.000 CFUs/eye. Clinical scores were evaluated in vivo with slit lamp biomicroscopy and direct ophthalmoscopy and animals were euthanized at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours post intravitreal injection, eyes were enucleated, and bacterial growth rate was assessed.

Results : An inoculum of 10.000 CFUs/eye of E. coli U13 resulted in conjunctival hyperemia, purulent exudations, iritis and miosed pupils (posterior synechiae) at 24 hours with mild to moderate average inflammatory scores in the two-thirds of the animals. The signs of clinical inflammation were not progressed at 48 or 72 hours, while the bacterial load remained stable with an average of 105 CFUs/eye. However, in all experiments, one-third of the animals demonstrated significantly lower clinical scores. On the contrary, higher inocula (> 70.000 CFUs/eye) of E. coli U13 resulted in moderate to severe inflammatory signs even at 24 hours. In addition to E. coli U13, an inoculum of even 100 CFUs/eye of E. coli U27, resulted in severe inflammation and particularly high clinical scores within the 72-hours timeframe.

Conclusions : Escherichia coli-induced experimental endophthalmitis can be achieved in rats and is a highly reproducible model of gram-negative bacterial endophthalmitis. Low inocula of E. coli strain U13 result in mild to moderate progress of the inflammatory signs, thus allowing pharmaceutical intervention. Further experimentation is currently ongoing in order to evaluate novel liposomal formulations that are specifically designed for sustained intraocular release of moxifloxacin.

This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.

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