Intraocular penetration of topical clindamycin in rabbits

K. B. Mercer, J. E. DeOlden and I. H. Leopoid

Clindamycin is a recently developed, semisynthetic antibiotic whose spectrum of activity suggests a potential for the treatment of common ocular infections. The upake by various ocular tissues and serum in albino rabbits after topical administration of 0.2% clindamycin hydrochloride was studied. Therapeutic levels were achieved in the cornea, aqueous humor, and iris-ciliary body and persisted for two hours. Peak concentration occurred in the cornea within 15 minutes and in the aqueous humor and the iris-ciliary body at 30 minutes. Freezing of the tissue reduced active clindamycin levels in the cornea by a factor of 2 to 2 1/2 of those determined by fresh tissue analysis but had no apparent effect on aqueous humor and iris-ciliary body. There were, however, no detectable levels in the serum or vitreous humor.