Evaluation of intraocular pharmacokinetics and toxicity of prinomastat (AG3340) in the rabbit.

To determine the ocular pharmacokinetics, physiological and histological effects of prinomastat (a matrix metalloprotease inhibitor), a total of seventy-seven eyes of New Zealand White rabbits received intravitreous and subtenon injections of prinomastat or of acidified water vehicle as control, Doses of 0.5 mg in 0.05 mL of prinomastat or acidified water were used for intravitreal injection. For the subtenon injections, doses of 5 mg prinomastat in 0.5 mL of acidified water were administered in the superotemporal quadrant. Intraocular pharmacokinetics were determined by analyzing vitreous samples at different postinjection time points using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy/Mass Spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS). The toxicity was evaluated by biomicroscopy, electroretinography (ERG), pneumatonometry, and histology. No toxicity was found with either administration method. At day 14 after intravitreal injection, levels of prinomastat in the vitreous and choroid were 1.4 ng/mg and 7.8 ng/mg, respectively. The retinal levels of prinomastat were 22 ng/mg at 24 hr and dropped below 1 ng/mg at 48 hr. Prinomastat remained well above minimum effective concentration in the choroid for at least four weeks after a single intravitreal injection, suggesting that local intravitreal injection may have potential in treating choroidal neovascularization.