Gemifloxacin은 대부분의 G(-) 세균들과 G(+) 세균들에 대해 강한 활성을 나타내며 미성숙동물에서 비교적 낮은 연골독성 가능성을 가진 합성 fluoroquinolone계 항생제이다. 본 연구는 미성숙 SD계 랫드의 아킬레스건에 gemifloxacin이 미치는 영향을 평가하기 위해 gemifloxacin을 생후 4주 후부터 0(vehicle), 600mg/kg body weight 용량으로 5일 동안 매일 한번씩 경구투여를 하여 ofloxacin과 비교하였다. 아킬레스건의 형태학적 변화를 투과전자현미경을 이용하여 관찰한 결과 부형제만 처치한 대조군과 비교하였을 때, gemifloxacin과 ofloxacin을 처치한 랫드로부터 채취한 샘플에서 초미세구조의 변화가 관찰되었다. quinolone을 처치한 군의 tenocyte에서는 다양한 퇴행성 변화가 관찰되었고, 세포외기질에서 분리된 세포들이 존재하였는데 이는 ofloxacin을 처치한 그룹에서 특히 높았고 gemifloxacin을 처치한 그룹에서는 매우 낮았다. 따라서, gemifloxacin이 아킬레스건과 같은 결합조직 구조물들의 퇴행성 변화를 보다 적게 야기한다는 것을 보여준다.
Gemifloxacin is a synthetic fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agent that exhibits potent activity against most Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms, and has a comparatively low chondrotoxic potential in immature animals. This study examined the effects of gemifloxacin on the Achilles tendons in immature Sprague-Dawley rats treated by oral intubation once daily for 5 consecutive days from postnatal week 4 onward at doses of 0 (vehicle), and 600mg/kg body weight Ofloxacin was used for comparison. The Achilles tendon sperimens were examined by electron microscopy. In comparison with the vehicle-treated controls, there were ultrastructural changes in all samples from the gemifloxacin- and ofloxacin-treated rats. Degenerative changes were observed in the tenocytes, and the cells that detached from the extracellular matrix were recognizable. The degree of degenerative changes and the number of degenerated cells in the Achilles tendon were significantly higher in the treated group than in the control group. Moreover, among the quinolone treated groups, these findings were more significant in the ofloxacin treated group, and less significant in the gemifloxacin treated group. It is unclear what these findings mean with respect to the possible risk ill juvenile patients treated with gemifloxacin or other quinolones. However, these results show that gemifloxacin causes fewer changes in the connective tissue structures.
