Concurrent exposure to antimicrobial and nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) is usually inevitable in most infections and postsurgery. Consequently, the
present study was designed to assess the intertwining impact of coadministration of
cefepime (CP, a wide spectrum antibiotic) and diclofenac sodium (DF, an NSAID) on
rat's liver, kidney, and testes. Rats received saline, CP (180 mg/kg/day, IM), DF
(10 mg/kg/day, IM), or a combination of CP and DF. After 14 days, CP or DF induced
tissue damage expressed by marked biochemical alterations in hepatic and renal
function tests. Besides this, disrupted lipid metabolism and testosterone levels along
with significant histological changes in hepatic, renal, and testicular tissues were
noticed. A significant increase in malondialdehyde and decreases in superoxide
dismutase and catalase activities alongside significant upregulated caspase 3 expression in tissues following CP or DF treatment suggested a bearable influence of
oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and cell death. Accordingly, the simultaneous
therapy of CP and DF evoked more obvious tissue damage than their individual
treatment. Overall, data concluded that concurrent use of CP and DF in medical
practice is a worrisome matter, so it should be done cautiously to avoid synergistic
deleterious outcomes.