Effects of topical unoprostone and latanoprost on acute and recurrent herpetic keratitis in the rabbit

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of the topical ocular hypotensive drug, is opropyl unoprostone, a docosanoid molecule with very weak prostaglandin act ivity, on herpes keratitis in the rabbit eye. METHODS: For acute disease, rabbit corneas inoculated with the corticostero id-sensitive F(MP)E strain of herpes simplex virus type 1 were treated with various combinations of 0.12% isopropyl unoprostone, latanoprost, tri flur idine, benzalkonium chloride 0.02%, dexamethasone sodium phosphate, ketorol ac tromethamine, or saline solution beginning 1 day after infection. Severi ty of keratitis was evaluated in a masked manner. For recur rent disease, r abbit corneas infected with McKrae strain herpes simplex virus type 1 were treated with unoprostone or saline solution on postinfection days 25 to 42, and the presence or absence of lesions was recorded. RESULTS: Eyes treated with unoprostone showed significantly less severe dis ease than saline-treated or latanoprost-treated eyes during acute infection , Uno prostone-treated and saline-treated eyes showed no sig nificant diffe rence in the frequency of recurrent lesions. Eyes treated with latanoprost and/or dexamethasone, separately or in combination, showed increased severi ty of acute herpes simplex virus keratitis, whereas benzal konium chloride 0.02%-treated eyes showed no significant difference, compared with saline t reatment. Trifluridine resulted in rapid healing. CONCLUSIONS: Unoprostone did not increase the severity or recurrence rate o f herpes simplex virus keratitis, Unoprostone requires twice-a-day administ ration, compared with once-a-day for latanoprost, and unoprostone lowers in traocular pressure less than latanoprost. Nevertheless, unoprostone's super ior safety profile may make its use advantageous. Benzalkonium chloride alo ne did not make the keratitis worse. (C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.).