Effect of new quinolones on drug-metabolizing enzyme system of rat hepatic microsomes

Effects of repeated oral administration of new quinolones, ofloxacin, enoxacin and norfloxacin, once daily for 7 days, on the drug-metabolizing enzyme system of rat hepatic microsomes were studied in comparison with that of phenobarbital, a potent inducer of cytochromes P-450. Treatment of phenobarbital at the oral dose of 120 mg/kg induced significant increases in the contents of cytochrome P-450, cytochrome b5 and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and in the activity of ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase, and significant decreases in the activities of benzphetamine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase. However, ofloxacin, enoxacin and norfloxacin at the oral dose levels of 80 and 320 mg/kg showed no significant effect on the content of each constituent of the drug-metabolizing enzyme system, and the three enzyme activities. Thus, it is concluded that new quinolones including ofloxacin have no ability to induce a cytochrome-P-450-dependent monooxygenase system.