ABSORPTION AND RENAL EFFECTS OF NEOMYCIN IN EXPERIMENTAL LIVER-CIRRHOSIS

Systemic side effects of aminoglycoside antibiotics as nephro- and ototoxicity are potentially harmful, especially in patients with liver cirrhosis, in whom there is an enhanced renal sensitivity to these substances. Doing by absorption in long-term treatment of hepatic encephalopathy with neomycin (NMC) there is a special risk of these side effects in patients with liver cirrhosis. We found in rats with tetracarbon-induced liver cirrhosis after acute oral administration of 100 mg/kg NMC a significantly higher rate of absorption, after a course of 12 days also a significantly higher blood level of NMC, compared with treated normal control animals (0.50 +/- 0.34-mu-g/ml versus 0.30 +/- 0.11-mu-g/ml; p < 0.05). On the other side, after acute intravenous and after 12-day oral treatment there weren't any differences in glomerular filtration rate in treated and nontreated cirrhotic rats. In conclusion, NMC should use only as short-term treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.