Metabolism of the Antituberculosis Drug Ethionamide

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

Nuno Vale (Author) FCUP; Paula Gomes (Author) FCUP; Helder A Santos (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Current Drug Metabolism

Vol. 14

Pages: 151-158

ISSN: 1389-2002

Publisher: Bentham

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 41 Citations

Scopus - 43 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-246

Abstract (EN): Ethionamide (ETH) is an important second-line antituberculosis drug used for the treatment of patients infected with multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium. Although ETH is a structural analogue of isoniazid (INH), both are pro-drugs that need to be activated by mycobacterial enzymes to exert their antimicrobial activity. ETH mechanism of action is thought to be identical to INH although the pathway of activation is distinct from that of INH. ETH is activated by an EthA enzyme, leading to the formation of an S-oxide metabolite that has considerably better activity than the parent drug. This review comprehensively examines the aspects related with the metabolism of ETH since its discovery up to today.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific