Characterization on the Bench of an Amikacin Aerosol Before Clinical Studies

ABSTRACT It has been suggested that nebulized antipseudomonas therapy may be of benefit in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Amikacin is effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and does not contain sulfites. As a prelude to clinical studies that will use gamma camera techniques to quantify amikacin aerosol deposition, we present the characteristics of the amikacin aerosol and demonstrate that labeling it does not change its dynamics. Human serum albumin (HSA) was labeled with 99mTc and was added to an amikacin solution (1 g per 8 mL and 1.5 g per 12 mL). Amikacin mixed with this tracer was charged in an ultrasonic nebulizer (Syst'Am LS; Villeneuve sur Lot, France). Low-resistance filters were connected between the nebulizer mouthpiece and a piston pump. The filters were changed after each 3-minute period during the 18-minute nebulization process. The mass of radiolabeled amikacin collected from each filter was measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) and estimated from 99mTc countings. Parti...