Effects of anti-inflammatory drugs on convulsant activity of quinolones: A comparative study of drug interaction between quinolones and anti-inflammatory drugs

Quinolones have been reported to possess potent convulsant activity, which is enhanced when they are administered concurrently with anti-inflammatory drugs. To define the individual drug interactions of quinolones with anti-inflammatory drugs, we studied the convulsant activity of six quinolones with or without 13 anti-inflammatory drugs and 3 analgesic/antipyretic drugs in mice. Intraventricular injections of norfloxacin (NFLX), enoxacin (ENX), ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin (LFLX), levofloxacin, and gatifloxacin induced convulsions in mice in a dose-dependent manner. Concurrent administration of biphenylacetic acid strongly enhanced the convulsant activity of NFLX, ENX, and LFLX. Flurbiprofen also strongly enhanced the activity of NFLX and ENX, and ketoprofen strongly enhanced the activity of ENX. However, mefenamic acid, piroxicam, tenoxicam, meloxicam, etodolac, sulpyrine, isopropylantipyrine, and acetaminophen had no effect on the convulsant activity of quinolones. These results suggest that each quinolone has an individual drug interaction with each anti-inflammatory drug. It was suggested that we should know which anti-inflammatory drugs enhance the convulsant activity of individual quinolones, and which quinolone has no/weak drug interaction with different anti-inflammatory drugs when these drugs are used concurrently for the treatment of patients with infectious diseases.