AntiFungals Flashcards
Microsporum & Trichophyton
• superficial or deep mycoses?
Superficial
= skin, keratinized structures (nail, claw, hair)
– no living tissue
= dermatophytes w/ proteolytic enzymes
–> penetrate keratin tissue
Blastomycoses, Coccidioidomycoses, Cryptococcosis, Histoplasmosis
• superficial or deep mycoses?
Deep
What is the reason why superficial mycotic agents are hard to treat with systemically administered drugs?
Colonize cornified tissues (often little blood supply)
What is the reason why deep mycotic agents are hard to treat with drugs?
What is another challenge?
1 – getting the drugs TO the fungal agent
– protected by granulomas or away from blood supply
(NEED TO BE LIPOPHILIC to penetrate more tissues)
2 – killing the fungal agent w/o killing the host
(need selective toxicity)

What animals are most at risk for Aspergillosis?
-opportunistic fungus
- Immunosuppressed animals
- glucocorticoid- suppression
- Prolonged Abx therapy
Is griseofulvin used to Tx superficial or deep mycoses?
What about yeasts?
- Tx superficial mycoses
NOT effective against deep mycoses or even yeasts
microsized VS ultramicrosized formulation of griseofulvin?
Which would require a higher dose to achieve a particular drug concentration in the body?
Microsized
• Poorly absorbed = 25-70%
Ultramicrosized
• 100% absorption
griseofulvin
• MOA?
Is griseofulvin cidal or static?
Does it work rapidly or slowly?
- taken up by keratinocytes via active transport
- -> keratinocytes are pushed to the stratum corneum (where infection is located)
- -> inhibits microtubules of mitotic spindle
- -> Arrests cell in metaphase
- does not kill fungal agent outright
- Needs 4-6wks+ to clear infection
Why is griseofulvin selectively toxic?
-Mammalian microtubule’s receptor sites are slightly different
Where does griseofulvin concentrate in the body?
Where will you see the fastest response to therapy? Why?
- concentrates in keratinocytes
w/in 4hrs
• Areas of rapid skin/hair growth
–> highest concentration of drug
What is the most common side effect of griseofulvin in dogs and cats?
Why do cats generally have more problems with antimycotic drugs than dogs?
- GI tract (Vomiting, diarrhea)
Cats
- reduced capacity to metabolize the drug
most of these antifungals are metabolized by the liver
What less common additional idiosyncratic problem do cats have on griseofulvin that dogs do not?
Bone marrow suppression in cats
• FIV+ seems to be more at risk
Teratogenic
Why is griseofulvin contraindicated for use in pregnant cats?
skeletal & cranial malformations
What are the two general groups of azole antifungals?
- Triazoles
2. Imidazoles
Mechanism of Azoles
• What is the enzyme the azoles target?
• What does altering that enzyme cause in the fungal cell?
Target
= cytochrome P-450 enzyme
• needed for ergosterol synth
↓ ergosterol
- -> toxic intermediates incorporated in cell membrane
- -> changes stability / permeability of membrane
- -> lack ability to regulate e-lyte movement
- -> FUNGISTATIC!
What makes azoles fairly selectively toxic?
Can cytochrome P-450 in mammals also be affected by azoles?
- mammalian CYP 450 has a much lower affinity for Azoles
(compared to fungal CYP 450)
• imidazoles are less specific
(keto-, clotrim-, miconazole)
What are the physiologic reasons that you could have adverse drug interactions with Azole drugs?
1 - inhibit CYP450
–> ↓ metabolization of other drugs
2- Inhibit P-gp efflux pump
–> ↑ drug absorption
• Bc dose is based on presence of these 2 factors, inhibition of them
- -> ↑ drug in circulation
- -> toxicosis possible
What is the reason that ketoconazole is given with cyclosporin?
REQUIRES A LOWER CYCLOSPORIN DOSE to achieve effect
- Normally metabolized by CYP 450 & P-gp efflux pump
- Giving ketoconazole concurrently inhibits these mechanisms ↑ absorption of cyclosporin
Why shouldn’t ketoconazole be used with antacid drugs?
- needs an acidic environment to be absorbed with the PO route
Acidic environment (pH <3) • non-ionized / lipophilic
Can ketoconazole be used to treat mycotic infections located in the brain or the eye? Why or why not?
- can’t cross BBB
• Not in lipophilic form at pH 7.4
How can GI side effects from ketoconazole be reduced?
split daily dose
• GI signs are dose related
What parameters change on the blood chemistry profile when an animal is put on ketoconazole?
- Hepatic enzymes mildly
Is ketoconazole safe in pregnant animals?
Teratogenic effects in dogs:
• mummified fetuses
• stillbirth
Excreted in milk
What endocrine effect does ketoconazole have?
What impact could this have on animals?
How is this side effect used therapeutically?
BAD FOR BREEDING ANIMALS!! • Inhibits conversion of progesterone to testosterone (cytochrome P-450) --> drop in testosterone (impact on breeding animals)
GOOD FOR CUSHING ANIMALS
• inhibit sterol to cortisol conversion (CYP 450)
–> ↓ cortisol in adrenal tumor
• Not drug of choice (but less expensive option)
Which is more potent (mg required to produce clinical effect) & best at targeting Aspergillosis:
ketoconazole or itraconazole?
Itraconzole
• 5-100X more potent