indication

A sulfanilamide that is used as an antibacterial agent. It can be used to treat bronchitis, prostatitis and urinary tract infections.

pharmacology

Sulfonamides act as competitive inhibitors of the enzyme dihydropteroate synthetase (DHPS), an enzyme involved in folate synthesis in bacteria.

mechanism of action

Sulfamerazine is a sulfonamide drug that inhibits bacterial synthesis of dihydrofolic acid by competing with para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) for binding to dihydropteroate synthetase (dihydrofolate synthetase). Sulfamerazine is bacteriostatic in nature. Inhibition of dihydrofolic acid synthesis decreases the synthesis of bacterial nucleotides and DNA.

toxicity

Sulfamerazine may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and hypersensitivity reactions. Hematologic effects such as anemia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency may also occur. Sulfamethoxazole may displace bilirubin from albumin binding sites causing jaundice or kernicterus in newborns.

absorption

Rapidly absorbed following oral administration.

drug interactions

Chlorpropamide: Sulfonamide/sulfonylurea: possible hypoglycemia

Methotrexate: The sulfamide increases the toxicity of methotrexate