Chapter 14- Antimicrobial drugs Flashcards
How long have humans been using antimicrobial compounds for?
There’s evidence that humans have been exposed to antimicrobial compounds for millenia, not just in the last century. Skeletal remains from 350-550 revealed residue from tetracycline- this suggests that they were performing the fermentation of streptomyces. The resulting beer was used to treat illness, like gum disease and warts. Used fungi from moldy bread or other mold containing products to treat warts
Era of strategic drug discovery
The first half of the 20th century
Paul Ehrlich
Early 1900s- Paul Ehrlich and his assistant Sahachiro Hata found compound 606- killed Treponema pallidum- sold under the name of Salvarsan to treat syphilis
Alexander Fleming
In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first natural antibiotic. Staphylococci had been contaminated by a mold which inhibited its growth
Klarer, Mietzsch, and Domagk
1930s- Klarer, Mietzsch, and Domagk discovered prontosil- killed streptococcal and staphylococcal infections
The active breakdown product of prontosil is sulfanilamide, which was the first synthetic antimicrobial created. It was the foundation for the development of the sulfa drug family
Dorothy Hodgkin
Early 1940s- Dorothy Hodgkin determined the structure of penicillin using X-rays. Scientists could then modify it to produce semisynthetic penicillins
Selman Waksman
1940s- Selman Waksman’s research team discovered several natural antimicrobials produced by soil microorganisms
Chemotherapeutic agent
A chemotherapeutic agent or drug is any chemical agent used in medical practice- the use of drugs to treat a disease. Can include the drugs used to treat cancer or antimicrobial drugs
Antibiotic agent
Considered to be a chemical substance made by a microorganism that can inhibit the growth or kill microorganisms
Antimicrobial agent
An antimicrobic or antimicrobial agent is a chemical substance similar to an antibiotic, but may be synthetic
Antibiotic vs antimicrobial
An antibiotic usually has one bacterial target, like if a key bacterial enzyme is blocked
Antimicrobial is a broad term but can often mean multiple targets, like membranes and DNA
Selective toxicity
Harms microbes but not damaging to the host. Microbes have different physiology than that of eukaryotic cells, like the bacterial cell wall. However. even with selective toxicity, some antibiotics have harmful side effects
Chemotherapeutic index
The maximum concentration of antibiotic that is tolerated per kilogram of that person in comparison to the minimum concentration of antibiotic per kilogram that will kill the disease. It is the ratio between the therapeutic dose and the toxic dose. The higher the chemotherapeutic index, the safer the drug
How are antimicrobial drugs classified?
Based on the type of organism they affect (antibacterial, antifungal)
Spectrum of activity
The range of microorganisms that an antimicrobial agent acts upon
Broad spectrum antimicrobial
Will treat a wide range of microorganisms (like gram positive and gram negative bacteria) if the exact agent isn’t known.
In which situations are broad spectrum antimicrobials used? (4)
- Used as an empiric therapy to cover a wide range of potential pathogens while the patient is waiting for laboratory identification of the pathogen
- Can be used for infections caused by more than one microorganism
- Also used as prophylaxis before surgery or other invasive procedures
- Used when a narrow spectrum antimicrobial was used first and failed to cure the disease
Isoniazid
Has a very narrow spectrum and only works against mycobacteria. Inhibits mycolic acid synthesis
Streptomycin
Has a wider spectrum and works against mycobacteria and gram negative bacteria
Tetracycline
Has a broad spectrum and works against mycobacteria, gram negative and gram positive bacteria, and chlamydias/rickettsias
Narrow spectrum
Targets only specific subsets of bacterial pathogens. For eukaryotic diseases, drugs have a narrow spectrum
Ketoconazole
only works against fungi
Mefloquine
works against protozoa (malaria)
Helminth drugs (2)
Niclosamide works against tapeworms and praziquantel works against flukes