Publication:

An acute experimental study to evaluate the effect of gatifloxacin on blood sugar levels in diabetic and non-diabetic rabbits

Background Diabetes mellitus is a condition characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and disturbance of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism associated with absolute or relative deficiencies in insulin secretion and/or insulin action. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of gatifloxacin on blood sugar levels in non-diabetic rabbits and alloxan induced diabetic rabbits.

Methods Animals were fasted for 20 hours. Blood was collected for baseline investigations. After giving single oral dose of 2% gum acacia blood samples were drawn at 1, 2 and 4 hours for estimation of glucose and serum insulin. After 2 days a repeat blood sample for baseline was collected after 20 hours fasting and single oral dose of gatifloxacin 25 mg/kg was given. Samples of blood were taken at 1, 2 and 4 hours. After a wash out period of 7 days injection alloxan 140 mg/kg was given slowly intravenously to induce diabetes in the animals. On day 3 after alloxan induction, blood samples were taken from the animals (fasting 20 hours), for baseline investigations. Same procedure of blood collection and timing was followed as done before diabetes induction. The animals were given a single dose of gatifloxacin 25 mg/kg with blood samples drawn at 1, 2 and 4 hours for FBS and serum insulin.

Results In non-diabetic rabbits, the effect of control and gatifloxacin on FBS levels at 1, 2 and 4 hours after administration was 100.3, 101.35, 102.89 mg/dl and 73.83, 73.04, 82.11 mg/dl respectively, on serum insulin levels at 2 hours interval was 3.62 and 4.16 μ IU/ml respectively. 48 hours after alloxan induction FBS and insulin levels were 219.13 and 1.19 μ IU/ml. After alloxan induction, FBS levels at 1, 2, 4 hours for control and gatifloxacin are 221.01, 224.13, 228 and 218.60, 218.53, 220.01 respectively. At 2 hours interval serum insulin levels were 1.15 and 1.21 μ IU/ml for control and gatifloxacin.

Conclusions This study is in line with previous reports that gatifloxacin causes increased release of insulin leading to hypogycemia. The fall in blood sugar levels following a single oral dose of gatifloxacin is not limited to diabetic states alone and is more marked in non-diabetic rabbits.