Effect of Chloroquine on the Urinary Excretion of Ciprofloxacin

Ciprofloxacin is an inexpensive antibacterial, whereas chloroquine is an inexpensive antimalarial.
The coadministration of chloroquine and ciprofloxacin is easily encountered because both drugs are
commonly prescribed to patients in the tropics. Five healthy male volunteers aged 19 to 31 years who
were not taking any of the prescribed medications and who had no sensitivity to either ciprofloxacin
or chloroquine each received 500 mg ciprofloxacin orally with 250 mL of water, and after a 2-week
washout period, 500 mg ciprofloxacin plus 600 mg chloroquine was administered orally with 250 mL
of water after providing informed consent. A urine sample (7 mL) was collected just before taking
the drug at 8:00 AM representing 0 hour and continued afterward at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours the
next day. The samples were stored at 220C until analyzed. The minimum inhibitory concentrations
by diffusion through agar technique were used for the assay of urine ciprofloxacin. The rate of
ciprofloxacin excretion and cumulative urine ciprofloxacin were significantly increased. The coadministration
of chloroquine increased the cumulative urinary concentration and excretion rate
of ciprofloxacin.
Keywords: