DISTRIBUTION OF SYSTEMICALLY ADMINISTERED AMPICILLIN, BENZYLPENICILLIN, AND FLUCLOXACILLIN IN EXCISIONAL WOUNDS IN DIABETIC AND NORMAL RATSAND EFFECTS OF LOCAL TOPICAL VASODILATOR TREATMENT

The present study assessed the suitability of the streptozotocin-treat ed diabetic rat as a model for the study of diabetes-impaired wound he aling. The distribution of three antibiotics, ampicillin, benzylpenici llin, and flucloxacillin, in wound and adjacent tissue sites on the ab domens and legs of normal and diabetic rats was determined 30 min afte r intravenous administration of a single bolus containing 50 mg of all three antibiotics per kg of body weight. Tissue/plasma ratios showed that antibiotic tissue penetration appeared to be related to protein b inding. The treatment of wound sites with vasodilators (1% solution) t o increase local blood flow and antibiotic delivery to the site was th en determined and appeared to be more effective with endothelium-indep endent sodium nitroprusside than with endothelium-dependent acetylchol ine in diabetic rats. These results suggest that coadministration of t opical vasodilators to wound sites in neuropathic diabetic patients un dergoing antibiotic therapy for infected ulcers could increase antibio tic delivery to wound tissue sites.