Can Amphotericin B-mediated effects be limited using intranasal versus intravenous route?

Abstract

Aim: CNS infections due to parasites often prove fatal. In part, this is due to inefficacy of drugs to cross the blood–brain barrier. Methods: Here, we tested intranasal and intravenous route and compared adverse effects of Amphotericin B administration, through blood biochemistry, liver, kidney and brain histopathological evidence of toxicities in vivo post-administration. Results: It was observed that intranasal route limits the adverse side effects of Amphotericin B, in contrast to intravenous route. Conclusion: As parasites such as Naegleria fowleri exhibit unequivocal affinity toward the olfactory bulb and frontal lobe in the central nervous system, intranasal administration would directly reach amoebae bypassing the blood–brain barrier selectivity and achieve the minimum inhibitory concentration at the target site.