[Diffusion of norfloxacin in epididymal tissue]

Norfloxacin, a "second generation" compound of the quinolone group, was administered orally, before surgery, every 12 h during successive three-day periods at dose of 400 mg to ten patients hospitalized for prostatic adenoma or for prostatic cancer. On the day of surgery, a 400 mg-last dose was administered. Unchanged norfloxacin was assayed by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The Cmin value was 1.2 +/- 0.77 mg/l. Concurrent norfloxacin concentrations in plasma and epididymal tissue (left and right) were determined, about 4 h after the last drug intake, the epididymal level was 3.4 +/- 1.9 micrograms/g. This value was above the MIC90 for most sensitive organisms. The ratio (+/- SD) of drug concentration in epididymal tissue and in plasma was 3. 74 +/- 2.10 (range 1.66-10.2). The epididymal level of norfloxacin was strongly correlated with, area under curve (p less than 0.001) and plasma concentration (p less than 0.01).