Antimicrobial Arsenic

On the other hand, there are a number of human diseases associated with an overactivity of neutrophil function. Many facets of the neutrophil antimicrobial arsenal, such as reactive oxygen metabolites and proteases, can attack host tissues as effectively as they can attack microbial targets. For this reason, activation of neutrophils under physiological conditions is carefully regulated and damage restricted for the following reasons ... 

Rifamide (and its analogues) would appear to be a much-needed addition to the antimicrobial arsenal because of its low toxicity and lack of cross-resistance with other anti-infectives it is to be expected that much more will be heard of the... 

Quinupristin/dalfopristin, a new addition to the antimicrobial arsenal. Lancet 354 2012-2013 Kelkar P S, Li J T-C 2001 Cephalosporin allergy. New England Journal of Medicine 345 804—809 Moellering R C 1998 Vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Clinical Infectious Diseases 26 1196-1199... 

Given the toxicity of ROS, it would have been remarkable if they had not been exploited to do intentional damage in some biological context. Indeed, the respiratory burst of neutrophils and macrophages is a crucial element of our antimicrobial arsenal. Superoxide is produced by NADPH oxidase of activated phagocytic cells and can account for up to 90% of their O2... 

Quinupristin/dalfopristin and oxazolidinones have bactericidal activity against staphylococci including the methicilUn resistant strains. These would be a welcome addition to the antimicrobial arsenal should adequate clinical trials prove their efficacy. 

Chemically synthesized antimicrobials used in animal and poultry feeds include arsenicals, eg, arsanilic acid [98-50-0] sodium arsanilate [127-85-5] and roxarsone [121-19-7]-, sulfa dmgs, eg, sulfadimethoxine [122-11-2], sulfamethazine [57-68-1], and sulfathiazole [72-14-0]-, carbadox [6804-07-5]-, and nitrofurans, eg, furazoHdone [67 5-8] and nitrofurazone [59-87-0] (see Antibacterial agents, synthetic Antiparasitic agents). 

The arsenal of plant defense peptides contains members capable of binding carbohydrate residues, namely /31-4 linked A -acetyl glucosamine residues that form the biopolymer chitin. The actual mode of action remains unclear. Antifungal and antimicrobial activity has been shown in vitro. For example Ac-AMP2 is a small disulfide-rich chitin-binding peptide isolated from the seeds of Amaranthus caudatus with antimicrobial activity. It differs from Ac-AMP 1 by one additional arginine residue at the C-terminus. The structure was determined by NMR and contains a cystine knot motif. Ac-AMP2 displays a so-called hevein domain partly... 

It is of historical interest that Fowler s solution, which contains 1% potassium arsenite, was widely used as a medicine for many conditions from the eighteenth century through the mid-twentieth century. Organic arsenicals were the first pharmaceutical antimicrobials and were widely used for the first half of the twentieth century until supplanted by sulfonamides and other more effective and less toxic agents. 

Antimicrobi I growth promoters Arsenicals Bacitracin Carbadox... 

Current and past uses of arsenic include pesticides, wood preservatives, munitions, semiconductors, antimicrobials for growth promotion in animals, and anticancer agents (Table 4.2 Chapter 5). Although production of arsenic ceased in the United States in 1985, it was the world s largest consumer of arsenic in 2003 (ATSDR, 2007). People are exposed to arsenic from its use today as well as from its use years ago. 

FIGURE 1.8 Arsenical antimicrobial drugs developed by Ehrlich... 

Arsenic has a long history as a poison. Its applications include (or have included) antimicrobials, herbicides, insecticides and rodenticides (and homicides). Arsenicals (as... 

A small amount of organoarsenicals is used for animal feed additives. Four arsenic compounds are now used in animal husbandry (5 8) in the USA. The heterocycle 10,10 -oxybisphenoxarsine (9) is manufactured and marketed as an antimicrobial agent which is particularly useful in conjunction with plastics. These organoarsenicals are shown in Figure 2. 

Arsenic has a long history as a poison. Its applications include (or have included) antimicrobials, herbicides, insecticides and rodenticides (and homicides). Arsenicals (as well as antimony and bismuth compounds) have been used clinically in protozoal, venereal and neoplastic diseases. In World War I, arsenicals were used as chemical warfare agents (see References 1-21 and references cited therein). 

Nembutal sodium pentobarbitone, nemonapride [inn.jan] (YM 09151-2) is a benzamide, a (Dj) DOPAMINE RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST that has been used as an ANTIPSYCHOTIC in the treatment of schizophrenia, neoarsphenamine [inn] is an arsenical with ANTIMICROBIAL activity, used as a veterinary antiinfective and antisyphilitic. 

Most of these polymers also have hydrophilic and hydrolysable ester and amide groups. Some organometallic polymers containing tin, antimony, Cu and arsenic, and polymer nanocomposites with metals like silver and copper also exhibit antimicrobial properties. 

Regulatory pressures have been directed against plastics antimicrobials in some countries, especially arsenic compounds. On the other hand there is also increasing pressure to prevent the spread of disease, and this is likely to increase market opportunities for antimicrobials. 

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