Clinicopathological aspect of dysglycemia in naive and diabetic rats induced by the fluoroquinolone antibacterial gatifloxacin.

To ascertain the clinicopathological process underlying dysglycemia induced by the fluoroquinolone antibacterial gatifloxacin (GFLX), we orally administered 100 or 300 mg/kg/day to male clinically healthy (naive) or spontaneous type II (diabetic) Goto-Kakizaki rats for 15 days (days 1 to 15). Treatment of naive rats with GFLX led to decreased blood glucose concentrations at 100 mg/kg/day on day 1. In diabetic animals, markedly increased blood glucose concentrations were noted from 100 mg/kg/day on day 3, and all of the animals given 300 mg/kg/day died or were killed because of moribund conditions by day 9.