Antimicrobial Drugs
Lecture 1
,Antimicrobial Drugs
• Definition:
Used to prevent or treat infection
• Selective toxicity: The ability of a drug to
injure a targeted cell or target organism
without injuring other cells or organisms.
– Achieved by three mechanisms
• Disruption of bacterial cell wall
• Inhibits an enzyme unique to bacteria
• Disrupts bacterial protein synthesis
,Defense Against
Infection
– Normally humans live in harmony with
microorganisms around us. They live
within our bodies, skin, resp tract and
colon. We defend against infection
through these 5 things:
• Intact Skin
• Intact Mucous Membranes
• Anti-infective secretions
• Phagocytic cells
• Immune and inflammatory processes
– Many factors impair this process of
host defense
, Mechanisms of Action
Lecture 1
,Antimicrobial Drugs
• Definition:
Used to prevent or treat infection
• Selective toxicity: The ability of a drug to
injure a targeted cell or target organism
without injuring other cells or organisms.
– Achieved by three mechanisms
• Disruption of bacterial cell wall
• Inhibits an enzyme unique to bacteria
• Disrupts bacterial protein synthesis
,Defense Against
Infection
– Normally humans live in harmony with
microorganisms around us. They live
within our bodies, skin, resp tract and
colon. We defend against infection
through these 5 things:
• Intact Skin
• Intact Mucous Membranes
• Anti-infective secretions
• Phagocytic cells
• Immune and inflammatory processes
– Many factors impair this process of
host defense
, Mechanisms of Action
