EFFECT OF ANTIDENATURANT DRUGS ON LYSOZYME DEPOSIT FORMATION ON SOFT CONTACT-LENSES BY LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY-ELECTROCHEMICAL DETECTION

The effect of some antidenaturant drugs on the formation of lysozyme d eposits on soft contact lenses was investigated by in vitro experiment s. Results were obtained which encourage the use of this strategy to r educe lens spoilage. At the same time emphasis is given to the possibi lity that some functionalities (i.e. lysine groups) present in drug mo lecules could promote protein adsorption. In order to evaluate at a qu antitative level the effectiveness of the drugs used to minimize the f ormation of deposits on soft contact lenses, a selective method for th e determination of adsorbed lysozyme was developed. It is based on the hydrolysis of the 'lens/adsorbed lysozyme' system, followed by high p erformance liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection of the released tryptophan residues. The lysozyme calibration curve wa s linear up to 5 mg ml(-1) and the detection limit was 5 ng injected.