Penetration of minocycline into lung tissues.

The penetration of minocycline into different lung tissues and bronchial mucus was studied in 17 patients undergoing pulmonary surgery for cancer. The patients received oral minocycline 100 mg at night for 3 days preceding surgery. Minocycline concentrations were measured in plasma samples collected before the operation and in tissues and mucus taken from in and around the part of the lung that was surgically removed. Mean tissue or mucus concentration to plasma concentration ratios were 3.78 +/- 1.10 for lung parenchyma, 4.04 +/- 1.31 for bronchial walls, 3.37 +/- 1.00 for pulmonary arterial walls, 1.99 +/- 1.80 for intraluminal mucus collected from bronchi located in healthy tissue proximal to the tumour, 5.16 +/- 3.26 for intraluminal mucus collected in a bronchus distal to the tumour, and 3.06 +/- 1.99 for catheter-collected mucus from the trachea and principal bronchi. These results indicate that minocycline is found in high concentration in all types of lung tissue and mucus in man.