Antibacterial efficacy of norfloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and gentamicin in experimentally-infected normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Systemic bacterial infections due to Escherichia coli MB 2884, Proteus mirabilis MB 3125 and Klebsiella pneumoniae MB 4005 were well controlled by treatment with norfloxacin both in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. similar observations were made when trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was used against susceptible pathogens. Systemic infection due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa MB 4700 was well controlled by norfloxacin and gentamicin in normal mice; this infection was more refractory to treatment by both drugs in diabetic animals. These observations suggest that norfloxacin may be an effective drug in the treatment of bacterial infections which may occur under diabetic conditions, and further investigation is warranted.