[The in vivo penetration of erythromycin into alveolar macrophages]

In order to appreciate the in vivo penetration of erythromycin the alveolar spaces a broncho-alveolar lavage was carried out in 24 guinea pigs, 30 minutes, 1 hour 30 minutes and three hours after a single intraperitoneal injection of 50 mgms. of erythromycin. The erythromycin dose was assessed by a microbiological method in the alveolar macrophages and the supernatant of the broncho-alveolar lavage liquid. The intramacrophage concentrations of erythromycin were 3.9, 11.5 and 12 times higher than the serum concentrations at 30 minutes, 1 hour 30 and three hours respectively. The concentrations in the broncho-alveolar lavage liquid was always higher than the serum concentrations tacking account of the different dilutions estimated with relation to the glucose concentrations. At 30 minutes, 1 hour 30 minutes and three hours the alveolar macrophages contained 1.9; 7.6 and 6 times more erythromycin respectively than the lavage supernatant. From the first half hour of its administration the erythromycin was concentrated in the alveolar spaces, in particular within the macrophages. Already noted in vitro, this rapidity of erythromycin concentration in vivo in alveolar macrophages appears to be one of the reasons to explain its activity against micro-organisms developing within macrophages.