Nadifloxacin is a cell-permeable, synthetic, broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic that inhibits the growth of both gram-positive and gram-negative microbes. Studies suggest that the mechanism of inhibition occurs by interfering with DNA replication. Specifically Nadifloxacin suppresses gram-positive bacterial growth by targeting topoisomerase IV and suppresses gram-negative bacteria by inhibiting Topo II (DNA gyrase), which both function to relax postive supercoils before DNA replication. Furthermore, Nadifloxacin can decrease superoxide radical anions such as O2- and OH-, produced by neutrophils.
