Penetration of amphotericin B in human lung tissue after single liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome) infusion

The distribution of amphotericin B in lung tissue was studied in 18 patients with primary or secondary lung cancer who underwent thoracotomy and pulmonary resection. At different times before surgery the patients were treated with liposomal amphotericin B 1.5 mg/kg by i.v. infusion over 1h. Blood and lung tissue samples were collected during surgery (one subject for each collecting time) and assayed for amphotericin B levels by HPLC. Due to surgical requirements, it was possible to obtain data from the loth to the 25(th) h after the end of infusion. Plasma amphotericin B concentrations progressively decreased from 3.4 mu g/ml at the loth h to 1 mu g/ml at the 25(th) h after the end of intravenous infusion. In lung tissue samples the lowest amphotericin B concentration (about 1 mu/g) was observed at the loth h, then a progressive increase was observed with the highest value (2.5 mu g/g) determined at the 25(th) h.