Comparative dispositions of ofloxacin in human head, axillary, and pubic hairs

Abstract

The distribution of ofloxacin (OFLX) along the shaft of each of three hair types, i.e., head, axillary and pubic, was investigated and compared among five healthy male volunteers 1 to 4 months after ingestion of OFLX for 1 or 2 days (total dose, 200 or 600 mg). Five strands of each hair type were sectioned together into successive 0.5-cm lengths starting from the dermal end, over a length of < or = 6 cm, and the OFLX concentration in each hair section was measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The distribution of OFLX along the head hair shaft was narrow, having a single peak even 3 to 4 months after administration, suggesting a rather uniform growth rate among hair strands. On the other hand, the OFLX distribution along axillary or pubic hair shafts tended to be broad, even having two apparent peaks, and the growth rate did not seem uniform. Since axillary hair seemed to stop growing after having gained a length of < or = 4 to 5 cm, it was suggested to enter a resting stage after the growth of < or = 3 cm over the 2 to 4 months after OFLX incorporation. These findings indicate that head hair is the most suitable for analysis of individual drug use and the larger growth rate and cycle stage variabilities of strands of the other types of hair should be taken into account.

FIG. 1

Ofloxacin distribution along head, axillary, and pubic hairs (upper, middle, and lower panels, respectively) of each of five subjects (I to V). Five strands of each hair type were sectioned together into successive 0.5-cm lengths from the dermal end over the length depicted on the abscissa of each graph, and the ofloxacin in each 0.5-cm length was determined. The height of each black column shows the concentration of ofloxacin in the hair length, starting at the dermal end. (I) Hair samples from subject 1 at 1.5 months (1.5M) and 3.5 months (3.5M) after ingestion of 200 mg of ofloxacin only once. (II) Hair samples from subject 2 at 1.5 and 3.5 months after ingestion of ofloxacin at 300 mg/day for 2 days. (III) Hair samples from subject 3 at 1.5 and 3.5 months after ingestion of ofloxacin at 300 mg/day for 2 days. (IV) Hair samples from subject 4 at 2 and 3 months after ingestion of ofloxacin at 300 mg/day for 2 days. (V) Hair samples from subject 5 at 1, 2, and 4 months after ingestion of ofloxacin at 300 mg/day for 2 days. Head hairs were sectioned into successive 1-cm lengths starting at the dermal end, and the amount of ofloxacin in each section was measured.