Ionophoric polyether coccidiostats

Polyether coccidiostats, such as monensin and lasolocid, act against coccidia by interrupting the flow of ions across membranes of these single-celled organisms. The ionophoric properties of the polyether coccidiostats also have consequences for the health of animals and humans as they can also disrupt ion flows across membranes in mammalian cells. The nervous system, muscles and the cardiovascular system are particularly vulnerable to effects on ion flows. 

It is likely that the lethal cardiotoxicity caused by high doses of ionophores in acute toxicity tests, the positive inotropy (increased force of heart contraction, causing an increase in blood flow from the heart) produced at lower doses, and the myopathy in skeletal muscles and neurotoxicity are probably all related to ion flow disrupting properties. It is plausible that there is a common mechanism for these effects of polyether ionophore coccidiostats. When such a common mechanism of toxicity exists for a group of substances, the default assumption is that their toxicity will be additive. As such, the ionophoric effects of polyether coccidiostats in a mixed exposure may be regarded as additive, whilst the toxicological properties of coccidiostats that are not due to disruption of ion flows are less likely to be caused by a common mechanism and are not considered to be additive. 

Anti-protozoa agents are utilized to treat diseases such as coccidiosis, which affects many farm animals, particularly poultry. Coccidiostats include polyether monocar-boxylic acid ionophores and other types of compounds. Polyether monocarboxylic acid ionophores include monesin, narasin, lasalocid, and salinomycin. The most common of these is salinomycin. Nonionophore coccidiostats include dimetridazole and halofunginone. Stanker et al. reviewed immunoassays available for coccidio-static agents. 

Awkward Anticoccidial drugs are extensively used in the poultry industry to control infection. The polyether ionophores, such as narasin and salinomycin, are the most commonly used coccidiostats in poultry. 

The condensed-phase ionization of polyether ionophore coccidiostats and antibiotics mostly results in [M+Na] -ions. This has been reported for FAB-MS of lasalocid, septamycin and monensin with desorption directly from TLC plates [124] and for maduramicins and other polyether antibiotics [125], In ESI-MS, they are also mostly analyzed as [M+Na]. The presence of multiple cychc ether units, a free caiboxyhc acid group at one end, and a terminal alcohol group at the other enable them to form stable complexes with various metal cations, e.g., alkah cations, Ca, Mg, and Cu, via intramolecular head-to-tail hydrogen bonding [126], In MALDI-MS using DHB as matrix, such coccidiostats show [M+Na] as well as some [M+K]+and [(M-H+Na)+Na]+ [127],... 

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