Pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration of orally administered lomefloxacin

The pharmacokinetics of the quinolone lomefloxacin were determined following a single 400-mg oral dose given to each of six male volunteers. Concentrations in serum, urine, and cantharidin-induced inflammatory fluid were determined by a microbiological assay. Samples from two volunteers were also assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The mean peak level in serum, 4.7 micrograms/ml, was attained within 1 h of administration. The mean elimination half-life from serum was 7 h. Inflammatory fluid was penetrated rapidly, with a mean peak level of 3.5 micrograms/ml occurring after 2.7 h. The mean recovery of lomefloxacin from urine over 48 h was 76% of the administered dose. There was a minor peak on the high-performance liquid chromatography trace, suggesting a small amount of unidentified metabolite. This was present only in urine; no detectable metabolites were found in serum. This study suggests that either once-daily or twice-daily dosage of lomefloxacin should be sufficient to treat urinary or systemic infections, respectively, caused by susceptible pathogens.