Abstract:Objective:To prepare levofloxacin-carboxymethyl-chitosan (LVFX/CMC) microspheres and to study their colon-targeted release in rats. Methods: KromasilRKR100-5C18(250 mm× 4.6 mm)was used as the analytical column and the temperature was maintained at 50℃. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of acetonitrile: 0. 1 % trifluoroacetic acid (20 : 80) pumped at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min, with λex 295 nm and hem 495 nm. Sixty healthy male SD rats were randomized into 2 groups: to receive gastric lavage with normal LVFX (40 mg,control group) and LVFX/CMC microspheres (40 mg,treatment group). HPLC was used to detect the concentrations of LVFX in the stomach,intestine,cecum,colon and blood in rats in both groups. Results: LVFX was detectable 3 h after LVFX/CMC microsphere lavage. Five hours after lavage,the levels of LVFX in cecum and colon were respectively (3. 394±0. 197) mg and (1. 873±0. 216) mg in treatment group,and (0. 489±0. 123) mg and (0. 078±0. 002) mg in control group (P〈0. 01) . Nine hours after lavage,the levels of LVFX in cecum and colon were (1. 580±0. 234) mg and (0. 713±0. 073) mg in treatment group,and (0. 105±0. 023) mg and (0. 054±0. 016) mg in control group(P〈0.01) ,respectively. Serum level of LVFX peaked at 5 h in treatment group and at 1 h in control group. The concentrations of LVFX were obviously higher in cecum and colon than those in stomach and intestine. Conclusion: The prepared LVFX/CMC microspheres have the property of colon-targeted release in rats.