Enoxacin distribution in human tissues after multiple oral administration.

Enoxacin was administered to six patients undergoing nephrectomy; 200 mg was given orally twice a day for three days preoperatively. The last dose was given on the morning of the day of operation. Samples of blood, skin, subcutaneous fat, muscle, rib bone, and renal cortex and medulla were taken during the procedure. Urine was collected 24 h preoperatively. The concentrations of enoxacin in the different tissues were measured by an agar-well diffusion method. The mean (24 h) urinary excretion of enoxacin was 62.7% of the daily dose. The concentrations in renal cortex and medulla and muscles exceeded those in serum; the mean tissue/serum concentration ratios were 3.8, 3.2 and 1.4, respectively. The ratios for skin and fat were 0.8 and 0.2, respectively. Only four bone samples were obtained and two of them had no detectable levels. The results indicate that enoxacin may be effective for treatment of skin and soft tissue infections and infections in the upper and lower urinary tract.