Antileprotic drugs

Rifampin is frequently given in combination with one or both of the following two agents. 

Dapsone is a sulfone that, like sulfonamides, inhibits dihydrofolate synthesis (p. 274). It is bactericidal against susceptible strains of M. leprae. Dapsone is given orally. The most frequent adverse effect is methemoglobinemia with accelerated erythrocyte degradation (hemolysis). 

Clofazimine is a dye with bactericidal activity against M. leprae and anti-inflammatory properties. It is given orally but is incompletely absorbed. Because of its high lipophilicity, it accumulates in adipose and other tissues and leaves the body only rather slowly (tvs 70 days). Red-brown skin pigmentation is an unwanted effect, particularly in fair-skinned patients. 

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Reverse micelles can also act as a convenient membrane mimetic medium for studying membrane interactions of bioactive peptides [329,330]. Fluorescence behavior of piroxicam in AOT-RMs and Triton X-100 microemulsions was investigated by Andrade and Costa [331].Dutta etal. [332] studied the interactions of an antileprotic drug dapson in dipalmitoyl phosphotidyl choline (DPPC)-RMs in chloroform. The DPPC was found to form RMs just beyond 6 mmol 1" concentration, which is relatively low compared to conventional AOT concentration. 

R D Cunha, VB Kartha, S Gumani. Raman and i.r. studies of the antileprotic drug Dapsone. Spec-trochim Acta 39A 331-336, 1983. 

Dapsone (22 d -diaminodiphenyl sulfone) is an established antileprotic and antiinflammatory drug that is also effective in the therapy of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia... 

Sulfones are chemically related to sulphonamides, and are presumed to work by a similar mechanism. The only one still in clinical used is dapsone and this is used in combination with other drugs to treat leprosy. See antileprotic AGENTS. 

Clofazimine is active against Mycobacterium leprae and is used clinically to treat leprosy (Hansen s disease). It was s)mthesised in 1957 by Barry et al.. Laboratories of the Medical Research Council of Ireland, Trinity College Dublin. The precise mechanism of the antileprotic action of clofazimine has not been established. The World Health Organisation classify clofazimine as an "essential drug" and recommend its use, in combination, with other agents to treat all cases of leprosy (WHO, 1982). 

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