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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, July 2002, p. 2069-2076, Vol. 46, No. 7
0066-4804/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AAC.46.7.2069-2076.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Phagocytosis Affects Biguanide Sensitivity of Acanthamoeba spp.

Judith A. Noble,1 Donald G. Ahearn,1 Simon V. Avery,2 and Sidney A. Crow Jr.1*

Department of Biology, Georgia State University, University Plaza, Atlanta, Georgia 30303,1 School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom2

Received 7 September 2001/ Returned for modification 11 February 2002/ Accepted 2 April 2002

The incidence of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a disease associated with contact lens wear, has been in apparent decline with the advent of multipurpose contact lens solutions. The concentrations of the biguanides chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) and particularly polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) included in multipurpose solutions (MPSs) are sublethal for amoebae. We evaluated by flow cytometry the effects of these two biguanides on phagocytosis of particles and the survival of trophozoites of Acanthamoeba castellanii and A. polyphaga. Trophozoites of A. castellanii and A. polyphaga (106/ml) were exposed to solutions of 5 and 50 µg of PHMB and CHX per ml in the presence and absence of particles (i.e., heat-killed yeasts and bacteria and latex beads). In addition, trophozoites were exposed to particles treated with these concentrations of the two biguanides. In the absence of particles, trophozoites of A. polyphaga appeared to be more resistant to the biguanides than those of A. castellanii. In the presence of particles, the rates of survival of both species were decreased. In most instances, particles treated with sublethal concentrations of both biguanides that were adsorbed onto the particles reduced the incidence of phagocytosis. Particles present in MPSs in contact lens cases may be involved in the decreased incidence of Acanthamoeba keratitis.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biology, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 4010, Atlanta, GA 30302-4010. Phone: (404) 651-3103. Fax: (404) 651-2509. E-mail: biosac{at}langate.gsu.edu.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, July 2002, p. 2069-2076, Vol. 46, No. 7
0066-4804/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AAC.46.7.2069-2076.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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