Question

1. Describe how some sulfonamide drugs exert their therapeutic effect.

2. Describe the historical milestones in the development of penicillin as the first antibiotic drug.

3. If a patient is allergic to amoxicillin, what category of antibiotic drugs could also cause an allergic reaction?

4. What is the consequence of the over-prescription of antibiotic drugs and the use of antibiotic drugs in animal feed?

5. How does the HIV virus reproduce in the body and how do antiretroviral drugs kill or block HIV?

6. Name three opportunistic infections that affect AIDS patients.

7. Why are some anti fungal drugs also useful in treating yeast infections?

Answer 1

1. Sulfonamide drugs are antimicrobial. They have antibacterial properties.

Mechanism of action : sulfonamide drugs inhibits the growth and multiplication of bacteria by acting as competitive inhibitors of the enzyme dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), an enzyme involved in folate synthesis.

2. Penicillin was the first modern antibiotic developed by Alexander Fleming. He discovered that a mold of culture was inhibiting the growth of staphylococcus by secretion of a substance. He discovered the substance as penicillin.

His discovery led to the generation of modern age antibiotics.

3. Amoxicillin is a beta lactam antibiotic. The medicines of class penicillin belongs to same drug class. So anyone having allergy to amoxicillin may also be allergic to class penicillin.

4. The consequence of overuse of antibiotics is that it may cause the bacterias to become immune to the antibiotic action. The bacteria may undergo changes by changing their structure or mechanism of action. This leads to development of drug resistant bacteria. The resistant bacterias are hard to treat. They require longer periods of treatment with more powerful antibiotics.