[Transfer of cefuzonam into female genital organs]

Cefuzonam (CZON) was given intravenously at a 1 gram dose to 24 patients prior to abdominal total hysterectomy for uterine myoma. Concentrations of CZON in the serum of cubital vein, uterine artery, and in tissues of uterus and adnexa uteri were measured by the bioassay method. Bilateral uterine arteries were clamped at 15 and 30 minutes and 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours after the administrations of the drug. Measurements were done on 4 patients at each sampling. Concentrations of CZON in the serum of cubital vein and uterine artery changed in a similar manner with respective half-lives of 52.0 minutes and 48.2 minutes. Peak concentrations in oviduct, ovary, endometrium, myometrium, cervix uteri and portio vaginalis were reached at 15 minutes after drug administration. The peak concentration in the ovary was as high as 37.5 micrograms/g, and those in other tissues varied between 17.6 and 25.5 micrograms/g. Tissue concentrations decreased gradually after their peaks in similar manners to those in serum, and their half-lives ranged between 37.4 and 53.7 minutes. From these results, it was found that CZON was transferred to female genital organs in high enough concentrations to inhibit growth of bacteria which were often isolated from the pelvic inflammatory diseases, and CZON seemed to be highly effective to clinical pelvic inflammatory diseases.