Renal histological and biochemical changes induced in the rat by dibekacin.

Among presently available aminoglycosides, dibekacin has the least toxic effect on the functions of the cochlea and the vestibule. We investigated the potential nephrotoxicity of dibekacin at various dose levels and durations of treatment. In the rat, the injection of high doses (50 mg/kg for 8 days) produced: 1) a reduction in renal function and the onset of cellular necrosis; 2) the appearance of myeloid bodies in the cells of the proximal tubule; 3) accumulation of the drug in the renal cortex at a concentration of 4.4 micrograms/mg of protein; 4) a reduction in the lysosomal latency of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase; and 5) disorders of the activity of cortical enzymes cathepsin B and sphingomyelinase. The effect of dibekacin is similar to that of the other aminoglycosides, but it would seem to be less nephrotoxic than gentamicin.