Current Eye Research 2009-03-01

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-inhibiting drug reduces HSV-1 reactivation in the mouse eye model.

Shiro Higaki, Keizo Watanabe, Motoki Itahashi, Yoshikazu Shimomura

Index: Curr. Eye Res. 34(3) , 171-6, (2009)

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Abstract

To examine the effects of COX inhibitors on suppressing HSV-1 reactivation in a mouse model.BALB/c mice were latently infected with HSV-1 and treated by 0.1% bromfenac Na eye drops, 0.1% pranoprofen eye drops, 0.1 mg oral etodolac 4 times/day, and saline for 4 days. After reactivating the latent HSV-1, we swabbed the mouse ocular surface for the culture of the infectious virus and assessed the viral loads in the eyes and trigeminal ganglia (TGs) using real-time PCR to determine the treatment efficacies.With stimulated reactivation, 10 of 24 (41.7%), 5 of 10 (50.0%), 17 of 25 (68%), and 16 of 22 eyes (72.7%) showed positive swab results in the bromfenac Na, etodolac, pranoprofen, and saline groups, respectively; and a significant difference was seen only between the bromfenac Na and saline groups (p = 0.033). None of the three drug-treated groups showed any significant difference from the saline group in the viral DNA in the eyes and TGs (p > 0.05).Bromfenac Na eye drops can suppress HSV-1 reactivation.