Viability of Human Melanocytes HEMa-LP Exposed to Amikacin and Kanamycin

Aminoglycosides, such as amikacin and kanamycin, are powerful broad-spectrum antibiotics used for the treatment of many bacterial infections. The widely used aminoglycosides have the unfortunate side effects of targeting sensory hair cells of the inner ear, so that treatment often results in permanent hair cell loss. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of incubation time and drug concentration on viability of melanocytes cultured in the presence of amikacin or kanamycin. The normal human melanocytes HEMa-LP and the different concentrations of amikacin (0.075, 0.75 and 7.5 mmol/l) and kanamycin (0.06, 0.6 and 6.0 mmol/l), were used. The estimations were performed after 24, 48 and 72 h. The observed decrease in melanocytes viability may be an explanation for the mechanisms involved in aminoglycosides toxicity on pigmented tissues during high-dose and/or long-term therapy.