The penetration of ofloxacin and enoxacin into the alveolar spaces in rats

Abstract

Ofloxacin (OFLX) or Enoxacin (ENX) was intramuscularly administered at a dose of 100 mg/kg to rats (normal and pneumonia model). Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed at 30 min after administration and concentrations of OFLX or ENX in the recovery fluid were determined. Total recovery amounts of OFLX from 10 BAL procedures were 64.7 +/- 18.7 micrograms in the normal group and 126.5 +/- 16.1 micrograms in the pneumonia group, and the amounts of ENX were 15.6 +/- 4.6 micrograms in the normal group and 32.8 +/- 6.1 micrograms in the pneumonia group. Regarding the ratio of total recovery amounts in BAL to serum concentrations of OFLX or ENX, the pneumonia group was higher than the normal group and the ratio of OFLX was higher than that of ENX. Regarding the ratio of total recovery amount in BAL to the amount in lung parenchyma, the ratio of OFLX was higher than that of ENX, but there was no significant difference between the normal group and the pneumonia group in the ratio of OFLX or ENX. With regard to the ratio of the amount of OFLX or ENX in lung parenchyma to their serum concentrations, the ratio was higher in the pneumonia group than in the normal group, but there was no significant difference between OFLX and ENX. Based on the above results, it was concluded that the permeability of OFLX into epithelium of blood capillary is the same as that of ENX, but the permeability of OFLX into alveolus epithelium is superior to that of ENX.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)