antimicrobial chemotherapy

Question 1

Describe the history of antimicrobial chemotherapy

Answer 1

-folklore & herbal medicine
- quinine, bark extract of cinchona tree
- mercury used to treat syphilis

Question 2

Describe the work of Paul Ehrlich

Answer 2

• 1909 - Salvarsan active against spirochaetes, contains arsenic
• much of his work was based on the selective uptake of dyes by infecting organisms

Question 3

Describe the work of Gerhard Domagk

Answer 3

• spin off of Ehrlich
  prontonsil red —> Sulphanilamide

Question 4

What are the 2 routes for Penicillin?

Answer 4

• oral & IV

Question 5

What are some known issues of penicillin ?

Answer 5

• resistance (B-lactamase & other mechanism)
• allergic reactions
• cross-hypersensitivity

Question 6

Describe the mechanism of penicillin

Answer 6

• inhibits the transpeptidation of the cell wall

Question 7

What are some key dates related to antibiotics ?

Answer 7

1928 - Penicillin
1940 - Streptomycin
1940-1960 - antibiotic era

Question 8

What is the definition of antibiotics ?

Answer 8

Low molecular weight microbial metabolites that at low conc. inhibit the growth of other microorganisms

Question 9

What are the two classes of antibiotics ?

Answer 9

• bactericidal
• bacteriostatic

Question 10

Define ‘narrow spectrum of activity’

Answer 10

= active against only gram-positives

Question 11

Define ‘broad spectrum of activity’

Answer 11

= active against gram-positive & negative

Question 12

What are some ideal characteristics of antibiotics ?

Answer 12

• activity against 1 or more pathogens
• good absorption & distribution
• lack of toxicity

Question 13

Describe Minimum Inhibitory Concentration

Answer 13

the lowest conc. of an antimicrobisl agent that prevents the growth of an organism

Question 14

What are some factors affecting the determination of antibiotic activity ?

Answer 14

• testing organism
• medium composition
• inoculum size & density
• incubation conditions