INTESTINAL ELIMINATION OF SPARFLOXACIN, FLEROXACIN, AND CIPROFLOXACININ RATS

The intestinal transepithelial elimination of sparfloxacin and fleroxa cin was compared with that of ciprofloxacin in a rat model following a single parenteral administration of 25 mg of each of the antibiotics per kg of body weight. All three fluoroquinolones were eliminated thro ugh the small intestine. Ciprofloxacin was eliminated in the proximal jejunum at a rate of 1.97 +/- 0.70 mu g/cm(2), while the elimination r ates of fleroxacin and sparfloxacin were 0.64 +/- 026 and 0.21 +/- 0.1 0 mu g/cm(2), respectively, over a 90-min collection period. In the il eum, the elimination rates of ciprofloxacin, fleroxacin, and sparfloxa cin over the same period were 1.44 +/- 0.77, 1.00 +/- 0.33, and 0.41 /- 0.26 mu g/cm(2), respectively. These data suggest that these fluoro quinolones undergo a transepithelial elimination process in the small intestine. This route of elimination may be important in the therapy o f bacterial diarrhea.