• The Korean Journal of Vision Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.531-541
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• 2018

Purpose : To evaluate the acute cytotoxic effect of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and PHMB/EGCG mixture on the cultured human corneal epithelial cell (HCEpiC). Methods : HCEpiCs were cultured in the media of HCEpiC containing 0.00001~0.005% PHMB, 0.001~5% EGCG and 0.00005% PHMB/0.05% EGCG mixture respectively for 30, 60, 120 and 240 min. Cultured HCEpiCs were fixed and stained with Draq5 and cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated using confocal microscope and ImageXpress $Ultra^{TM}$. Results : Cultured HCEpiC did not show cytotoxic effect at below 0.00005% PHMB and below 0.05% EGCG concentration. In the media containing 0.00005% PHMB/0.05% EGCG, acute cytototoxic effect was not found, whereas damaged HCEpiCS were increased and survival cells were decreased in the media incubated for 240 min. Conclusion : The mixture of 0.00005% PHMB/0.05% EGCG showed non acute cytotoxic effect on the cultured HCEpiCs, however it is needed to investigate its chronic cytotoxic effect.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 1998

In order to understand the action mechanism of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) to the cyst of Accnthcnloebc on the morphological basis, the cysts of four corneal isolates of Acanthanoebc were treated with minimal cysticidal concentration (MCC) of PHMB and their ultrastructural changes were examined by transmission electron microscopy. The most striking change of cysts treated with PHMB compared with normal cysts was the shrinkage of intracystic amoebae, which resulted in the separation of the plasma membrane of intracystic amoeba from endocystic wall. Subplasmalemmal lipid droplets became irregularly shaped . In severely damaged cysts, cytoplasm was aggregated and organelles were severely deformed. Cytoplasmic materials were leaked out through the damaged plasma membrane. Most cysts showed aggregation of nuclear chromatin material. Number of mitochondrial cristae was also reduced. Ecto- and endo-cystic walls were relatively well tolerated. Findings in the present study revealed that PHMB affected mainly on plasma membrane, but lesser on organellar membrane of intracystic amoeba. It seemed likely that PHMB might kill cystic forms of Accnthamoebc by similar mechanism in which this environmental biocide can damage the cell wall of Escherichia coli by binding with acidic phospholipids.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.44 no.4 s.140
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• pp.313-320
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• 2006

In an effort to characterize, on the molecular scale, the Acanthamoeba initially isolated from the cornea of an amoebic keratitis patient associated with overnight-wear orthokeratology lens in Korea, we conducted mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism, 18S rDNA sequencing, and drug sensitivity analyses on the isolate (KA/PE1). The patient was treated with polyhexamethylene biguanide, chlorhexidine and oral itraconazole, which resulted in resolution of the patient's ocular inflammation. The majority of the molecular characteristics of the KA/PE1 were determined to be identical, or quite similar, to those of A. castellanii Ma strain, which had been isolated also from amoebic keratitis. The risk of Acanthamoeba keratitis as a potential complication of overnight orthokeratology is briefly discussed.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.636-642
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• 1994

Essential amino acids involving in the catalytic mechanism of the $\beta$-D-xylosidase of Bacillus stearothermophilus were determined by chemical modification studies. Among various che- mical modifiers tested N-bromosuccinimide (NBS), $\rho$-hydroxymercurybenzoate (PHMB), N-ethylma- leimide, 1-[3-(di-ethylamino)-propyl]$-3-ethylcarbodi-imide (EDC), and Woodward's Reagent K(WRK)inactivated the enzyme, resulting in the residual activity of less than 20%. WRK reduced the enzyme activity by modifying carboxylic amino acids, and the inactivation reacion proceeded in the form of pseudo-first-order kinetics. The double-lagarithmic plot of the observed pseudo-first- order rate constant against the modifier concentration yielded a reaction order of 2, indicating that two carboxylic amino acids were essential for the enzyme activity. The $\beta$-D-xylosidase was also inactivated by N-ethylmaleimide which specifically modified a cysteine residue with a reaction order of 1, implying that one cysteine residue was important for the enzyme activity. Xylobiose protected the enzyme against inactivation by WRK and N-ethylmaleimide, revealing that carboxylic amino acids and a cysteine residue were present at the substrate-binding site of the enzyme molecule.