Objective: To determine the distribution of terbinafine in the cornea and aqueous humor after topical administration. Methods: A corn oil ointment of terbinafine 0.2% (resolved in sterile corn oil) was applied to the conjunctival sac of albino rabbits twice (with a 5-min interval). The concentration of terbinafine was determined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) 5, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 min after administration of terbinafine. Results: After topical administration, the concentration of terbinafine increased gradually, reached a peak (1.39 µg/ml at 30 min in the cornea and 82.9 ng/ml at 30 min in aqueous humor, respectively) and then decreased. The concentration was 0.18 µg/g at 240 min in the cornea, but terbinafine could not be tested at 120 min in aqueous humor. Conclusions: Topical ophthalmic terbinafine 0.2% could penetrate into the cornea and aqueous humor at concentrations adequate for inhibition of fungus.

ABSTRACT. Small heat shock proteins (HSPs) are molecular chaperones with ATP-independent properties. They are involved in a variety of physiological and stress processes. In this study, the full-length HSP 20 (HSP20) from Pinctada martensii, designated as PmHSP20, was obtained from hemocytes using rapid amplification of cDNA ends technology. The PmHSP20 cDNA was 952 bp in length, containing an open reading frame of 534 bp that encoded 177-amino acid residues, with an isoelectric point of 5.86 and molecular weight of 20.24 kDa. The sequence of this deduced polypeptide contained typical structure and function domains conserved in the HSP20 family, providing evidence that PmHSP20 belongs to the HSP20 family. The PmHSP20 mRNA expression levels were detected in various tissues of P. martensii and in hemocytes after challenges with the bacteria Vibrio harveyi and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction amplification. The results indicated that PmHSP20 is constitutively expressed in all tissues tested and might be involved in the immune response. The upregulation of PmHSP20 after V. harveyi and LPS challenge suggests that PmHSP20 plays an important role in anti-bacterial immunity. Studies on PmHSP20 are a valuable resource to further explore the immune system in pearl oysters and might enhance our knowledge of molluscan innate immunity.