Effects of furosemide, piretanide, and water loading on urinary excretion of cefazolin in humans

Antibiotics and diuretics are often prescribed concomitantly for humans. We compared the effects of two potent loop diuretics, furosemide and piretanide, with those of water loading on the urinary excretion of cefazolin. During a continuous infusion of inulin and cefazolin (10 mg/kg per h), six healthy male volunteers received a single intravenous injection of furosemide (0.3 mg/kg) or piretanide (0.1 mg/kg) or again an oral water load of 15 ml/kg over a 20-min period. In vitro, furosemide at all concentrations tested significantly reduced by about 10% the percentage of cefazolin bound to serum proteins. Piretanide exhibited such an effect only at a concentration of 2 micrograms/ml. Furosemide, piretanide, and water loading significantly and similarly increased the ratio of excreted to infused cefazolin up to 2 h after the injection of diuretic or after oral water intake. In each of the three parts of the experiment, the increase of the urinary flow rate was similar when compared with the control values. Furosemide significantly increased the cefazolin filtered load during the same time. Piretanide significantly enhanced the absolute rate of net cefazolin tubular secretion. Water loading increased the urinary excretion of cefazolin, probably through a reduction in tubular reabsorption. These results suggest that (i) furosemide and piretanide as well as water loading are capable of enhancing renal excretion of cefazolin by different complex mechanisms; (ii) cefazolin undergoes a bidirectional tubular transport; (iii) piretanide might act on the proximal tubule in addition to its main site of action on Henle's loop; and (iv) the effects of both diuretics and of water loading are unlikely to affect in vivo antibiotic activity in humans.