Tissue distribution of bitespiramycin and spiramycin in rats

AIM: To investigate the tissue distribution of bitespiramycin (BSPM) and spiramycin (SPM) in rats. METHODS:Liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric assay was applied for the determination of three major components (isovalerylspiramycins, ISV-SPMs) of BSPM and their major active metabolites (SPMs) in rat tissues and plasma after an oral dose of bitespiramycin, as well as SPMs. RESULTS: High levels of drug concentrations were observed in most tissues, especially in the liver, stomach, intestine, spleen, lung, womb, and pancreas. BSPM persisted long time in many rat tissues such that the drug concentration in spleen was 69.4 nmol/g at 60 h post-dose and it was still above the minimum inhibitory concentration of many susceptible pathogens. At 2.5 h post-dose, the total concentrations of ISV-SPMs and SPMs achieved in tissues were from 6 to 215 times higher than the corresponding concentrations in plasma. At 2.5 h post-dose, the mean Ct/Cp of BSPM appeared to be 2- or 3-fold those of SPM in most tissues. The tissue to plasma concentration ratios following oral dose of BSPM were higher than those of SPM in most tissues. The drug was not detected in brain and testis after a single dose of BSPM and SPM.CONCLUSION: Both BSPM and SPM penetrate into rat tissues well and BSPM has higher tissue affinity than SPM.