Sulphonamides hypoglycaemic

Systemically taken drugs that can induce photosensitivity are many. Of the drug groups given below, those most commonly reported are antimitotics dacarbazine, vinblastine antimicrobials demeclocycline, doxycycline, nalidixic acid, sulphonamides antipsychotics chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine cardiac arrhythmic amiodarone diuretics frusemide (furosemide), chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide fibric acid derivatives, e.g. fenofibrate hypoglycaemic tolbutamide... 

Humans take folic acid from dietary sources, while the majority of microbes synthesise it de novo. Sulphonamides block the pathway of folic acid synthesis and, consequently, the microbial proliferation. Other sulphonamides are used as hypoglycaemic agents. They increase the insulin secretion and inhibit the liver gluconeogenesis. 

Figure 4.14 Sulphonamides used as hypoglycaemic and diuretic agents.

During a clinical trial in 1954 of the sulphonylurea antibacterial sulphonamide known as carbutamide (Fig. 8.49), patients experienced severe side effects. A physician in charge tested the dmg on himself and realised it produced hypoglycaemia. After further clinical investigations, carbutamide was marketed in Europe as an oral hypoglycaemic in patients with mild diabetes, even though it had many side effects. 

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