Nephrotoxicity of demethylchlortetracycline hydrochloride. A prospective study.

Scattered reports of polyuria and polydypsia developing after the prolonged use of demethylchlortetracycline hydrochloride have raised the possibility that this drug may injure the renal tubules. 1,2 The present investigation, a prospective study of the effect of demethylchlortetracycline hydrochloride on certain indices of renal function, was therefore undertaken. Methods A fresh preparation of demethylchlortetracycline hydrochloride (Declomycin) was given orally in a dosage of 150 mg four times daily to six healthy male volunteers. Only subjects who, after careful screening, showed no abnormality of renal function at the outset and no evidence of any disease predisposing to impairment of renal function were included in the study. The duration of demethylchlortetracycline hydrochloride administration was 21 days in one case, 28 days in four cases, and 56 days in one case. The following measurements were made before and at weekly intervals during and after demethylchlortetracycline hydrochloride administration: hematocrit reading, white blood cell count, blood