Chemotherapeutic effects of ofloxacin (HOE 280) and other quinolone-carboxylic derivates in the treatment of experimental lung infections due to Klebsiella pneumoniae DT-S in mice.

The chemotherapeutic activity of ofloxacin (HOE 280), a new pyridone-carboxylic acid derivative, was compared with that of other drugs in the same group, including norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin and in some cases pipemidic acid and nalidixic acid. The test model used was experimental pneumonia caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae DT-S in mice. In the treatment of pneumonic mice, ofloxacin was 4 to 18 times more effective than norfloxacin and enoxacin and in most cases slightly more effective than ciprofloxacin. Pipemidic acid and nalidixic acid showed only low activity or proved to be inactive. In studies on the bactericidal activity of the compounds in vivo, ofloxacin produced a more pronounced effect than ciprofloxacin. With norfloxacin and enoxacin, a bactericidal effect in the infected tissue of the animals was only observed during the first hours after treatment.