Relationship between chemical structure of antibiotics and pharmacokinetics.

Modifications to the chemical structure of antibiotics can modify nearly all pharmacokinetic parameters: digestive absorption, half-life, protein binding, tissue distribution, metabolic biotransformation, biliary and renal elimination. Examples of increased oral bioavailability are given for beta-lactams, macrolides, tetracyclines, fosfomycin, quinolones and acyclovir. The structural modifications responsible for prolonged or shortened half-life, increased or decreased biliary excretion, increased or decreased renal clearance for the different families of antibiotics are reviewed.