title: Macrolide antibiotics, drug interactions and microsomal enzymes: implications for veterinary medicine.
abstract: The macrolide group of antibiotics includes natural members, pro-drugs and semi-synthetic derivatives, thus named because they are composed of a large aglycone ring (from 14 to 16 carbon atoms), to which are attached several sugars. Some of them are amino-sugars, containing a diethylamino, tertiary amine function. A number of antibiotics, including erythromycin, oleandomycin, triacetyl-oleandomycin (troleandomycin), carbomycin, spiramycin, tylosin, rosamicin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, dirithromycin and others, are members of this group. On a comparative basis, erythromycin and oleandomycin are similar, with the same basic 14-carbon lactone ring and side chain sugars. The remaining compounds contain a basic 15- or 16-carbon lactone ring and one or two side-chain sugars. Most of the macrolides are produced by Streptomyces spp bacteria. An exception is rosamicin, which is produced by Micromonospora. Clarithromycin and azithromycin are new semi-synthetic derivatives of erythromycin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain. anadon@eucmax.sim.ucm.es
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anadón
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reeve-johnson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006801:Humans; D018942:Macrolides; D008861:Microsomes / Q000201:enzymology*; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018942:Macrolides; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System