[Enoxacin--comparative pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration]

The choice of an antimicrobial agent is primarily dependent on its antimicrobial activity and the pharmacokinetics in the host. The gyrase inhibitors differ in their antimicrobial spectrum as well as in their pharmacokinetics. In this review we compare key pharmacokinetic parameters of the most important 4-quinolones. Clearly, there are differences in their absorption, their sensitivity of the absorption process to food or di-or trivalent cations. On a weight basis enoxacin tends to have higher plasma levels then e.g. ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin and also tissue penetration of enoxacin as determined in the Body Fluid Model is superior to ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin. The elimination of enoxacin is mostly by the kidney (approximately 50-60% of dose) another 12-15% are metabolized in the liver. Renal failure therefore requires dose adjustments. The inhibitory effect of enoxacin on other compounds' metabolism has to be considered.