Penicillins

Beta Lactum Antibiotics
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Penicillins
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK5453
11/
Penicillin- Structure
• Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be used

clinically in 1941.
• The least toxic drug of its kind
• It was originally obtained from the fungus
Penicillium notatum, but the present source is a
high yielding mutant of P. chrysogenum.
• The penicillin nucleus consists of fused thiazolidine
and β-lactam rings to which side chains are
attached through an amide linkage.
• Substituents of the 6-aminopenicillanic acid moiety
determine the essential pharmacologic and
antibacterial properties of the resulting molecules.
• Penicillin G (PnG), having a benzyl side chain at R
(benzyl penicillin), is the original penicillin used
clinically.
• At the carboxyl group attached to the thiazolidine
ring, salt formation occurs with Na+ and K+. These
salts are more stable than the parent acid.
MOA
• All β-lactam antibiotics interfere with the

synthesis of bacterial cell wall.
• The bacteria synthesize UDP-N-acetylmuramic
acid pentapeptide and and UDP-N-acetyl
glucosamine.
• The peptidoglycan residues are linked together
forming long strands and UDP is split off.
• The final step is cleavage of the terminal D-
alanine of the peptide chains by
transpeptidases; the energy so released is
utilized for establishment of cross linkages
between peptide chains of the neighbouring
strands. This cross linking provides stability
and rigidity to the cell wall.
MOA
• The β-lactam antibiotics inhibit the transpeptidases so
that cross linking (which maintains the close knit structure
of the cell wall does not take place.
• These enzymes and related proteins constitute the
penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) which have been located
in the bacterial cell membrane.
• When susceptible bacteria divide in the presence of a β-
lactam antibiotic—cell wall deficient (CWD) forms are
produced- they swell and burst → bacterial lysis occurs.
This is how β-lactam antibiotics exert bactericidal action.
• Penicillins may also release some bacterial autolysins
Think…..
• β-lactam antibiotics are
more lethal in rapidly
multiplying phase
• Penicillin is practically
nontoxic to man
• Gram positive bacteria
more sensitive than gram
negative
Gram positive bacteria more sensitive than gram
negative?
• Peptidoglycan is a thick structure in gram-positive bacteria (≥10 layers), while it

is thin (one or two layers) in gram-negative ones.
• To bind to the PBPs, the β-lactam antibiotic must first diffuse through the
bacterial cell wall. Gram-negative organisms have an additional
lipopolysaccharide layer that decreases antibiotic penetration. Therefore gram-
positive bacteria are usually more susceptible to the action of β-lactams than
gram-negative bacteria.
• Because the penicillins poorly penetrate mammalian cells, they are ineffective in
the treatment of intracellular pathogens.
Classification
Penicillin
Broad Spectrum-
Narrow Spectrum Ampicillin,
amoxycillin
Moderately Very narrow-

Narrow- Pen G, Pen Antistaphylococcal-
V (natural) Nafcillin
Penicillin G (Benzyl Penicillin)
• Narrow spectrum antibiotic
• Greatest activity against gram-positive organisms, gram-negative
cocci, and non- β-lactamase producing anaerobes.
• Little activity against gram-negative rods, and they are susceptible to
hydrolysis by β-lactamases.
• Acid labile
• Resistance-
– Natural- β-lactamases or lack of PBPs
– Acquired- Penicillinases
• AE-
– Local- irritancy
– Toxicity-CNS
– Hypersensitivity- major issue. rash, itching, urticaria and fever. Anaphylaxis is rare,
but may be fatal.
– Superinfections- rare(Narrow spectrum)
– Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction- Penicillin injected in a syphilitic patient (particularly
secondary syphilis) may produce shivering, fever, myalgia, exacerbation of lesions,
even vascular collapse. This is due to sudden release of spirochetal lytic products
and lasts for 12–72 hours. It does not recur and does not need interruption of
therapy. Aspirin and sedation afford relief of symptoms.
• Uses:
• Use has declined very much due to fear of causing anaphylaxis
• Streptococcal infections Like pharyngitis, otitis media, scarlet fever,
rheumatic fever respond to ordinary doses of PnG
• Pneumococcal infections - drug of choice if organism is sensitive.
• Meningococcal infections are still mostly responsive- may be treated with
intravenous injection of high doses.
• Gonorrhoea- PnG has become unreliable due to spread of resistant
strains
• Syphilis T. pallidum has not shown any resistance and PnG is the drug of
choice
• Rare infections like anthrax, actinomycosis, rat bite fever - drug of choice
Limitations
• Poor efficacy -Oral route
• Susceptibility to penicillinase.
• Narrow spectrum of activity.
• Hypersensitivity reactions
Semi synthetic Penicillins
Penicillin
Natural- Pen G, Semisynthetic-

Ampicillin,amoxycillin
Acid Resistant Penicillin
Phenoxymethyl penicillin (Penicillin V)

• It differs from PnG only in that it is acid stable.
• Oral absorption is better; peak blood level is reached in 1 hour
and plasma t½ is 30–60 min.
• The antibacterial spectrum of penicillin V is identical to PnG,
but it is about 1/5 as active against Neisseria, other gram
negative bacteria and anaerobes.
• Used only for streptococcal pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis media,
prophylaxis of rheumatic fever, less serious pneumococcal
infections and trench mouth.
Penicillinase Resistant Penicillins
• Have side chains that protect the β-lactam ring from attack by staphylococcal
penicillinase.
• However, this also partially protects the bacteria from the β-lactam ring: non
penicillinase producing organisms are much less sensitive to these drugs than to PnG.
• Their only indication is infections caused by penicillinase producing Staphylococci, for
which they are the drugs of choice, except in areas where methicillin resistant Staph.
aureus (MRSA) has become prevalent.
• These drugs are not resistant to β-lactamases produced by gram negative bacteria.
Methicillin It is highly penicillinase resistant but not acid resistant—must be injected.
• It is also an inducer of penicillinase production.
• MRSA have emerged in many areas. These are insensitive to all penicillinase-resistant
penicillins and to other β-lactamsas well as to erythromycin, aminoglycosides,
tetracyclines,etc.
• The MRSA have altered PBPs which do not bind penicillins.
• The drug of choice for these organisms is vancomycin/linezolid, but ciprofloxacin can also
be used.
Penicillinase Resistant Penicillins
• Cloxacillin/Dicloxacillin It has an isoxazolyl side chain and is

highly penicillinase as well as acid resistant.
• Nafcillin is another parenteral penicillinase resistant penicillin.
Extended Spectrum Penicillins
• Aminopenicillins
– have an amino substitution in the side chain.
– Some are prodrugs and all have quite similar
antibacterial spectra.
– Sensitive to penicillinase or to other β-lactamases.
– These semisynthetic penicillins are active against a
variety of gram-negative bacilli as well.
– Ampicillin
– Amoxycillin
• Carboxypenicillins-Carbenicillin
– The special feature of this penicillin congener is its activity against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa and indole positive Proteus which are not
inhibited by PnG or aminopenicillins.
– Carbenicillin is neither penicillinase-resistant nor acid resistant.
– The indications for carbenicillin are—serious infections caused by
Pseudomonas or Proteus, e.g. burns, urinary tract infection,
septicaemia, but piperacillin is now mostly used.
• Ureidopenicillins- Piperacillin
– This antipseudomonal penicillin is about 8 times more active than
carbenicillin.
– It has good activity against Klebsiella, many Enterobacteriaceae and
some Bacteroides.
– It is frequently employed for treating serious gram negative infections
in neutropenic/immunocompromised or burn patients.
Beta-lactamase Inhibitors
• β-lactamases are a family of enzymes produced by many

gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria that inactivate β-
lactam antibiotics by opening the β-lactam ring.
• Different β-lactamases differ in their substrate affinities.
• Inhibitors of this enzyme clavulanic acid, sulbactam and
tazobactam are available for clinical use.
• These b-lactamase inhibitors are most active against plasmid-
encoded b-lactamases but are inactive against the
chromosomal b-lactamases induced in gram-negative bacilli
Clavulanic acid
• Obtained from Streptomyces clavuligerus, it has a β-lactam ring but no
antibacterial activity of its own.
• It inhibits a wide variety (class II to class V) of β-lactamases (but not class I
cephalosporinase) produced by both gram-positive and gram-negative
bacteria.
• Clavulanic acid is a ‘progressive’ inhibitor: binding with β-lactamase is
reversible initially,
• It permeates the outer layers of the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria and
inhibits the periplasmically located β-lactamase.
• Addition of clavulanic acid re-establishes the activity of amoxicillin against β-
lactamase producing resistant Staph. aureus (but not MRSA that have
altered PBPs), H. influenzae, N. gonorrhoeae, E. coli, Proteus, Klebsiella,
Salmonella and Shigella
Sulbactam
• It is a semisynthetic β-lactamase inhibitor, related chemically as well as in
activity to clavulanic acid.
• It is also a progressive inhibitor
• Less potent than clavulanic acid for most types of the enzyme, but the same
level of inhibition can be obtainedat the higher concentrations achieved
clinically.
• Sulbactam does not induce chromosomal β-lactamases, while clavulanic acid
can induce some of them.
• Sulbactam is combined with ampicillin for intravenous or intramuscular use .
The combination has good activity against gram-positive cocci
• Indications are:
– PPNG gonorrhoea; sulbactam per se also inhibits N. gonorrhoeae.
– Mixed aerobic-anaerobic infections, intraabdominal, gynaecological, surgical and skin/
soft tissue infections, especially those acquired in the hospital.
Tazobactam
• It is another β-lactamase inhibitor similar to sulbactam.
• Its pharmacokinetics matches with piperacillin with which it
has been combined for use in severe infections like peritonitis,
pelvic/urinary/respiratory infections caused by β-lactamase
producing bacilli.

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Beta Lactum Antibiotics

• Penicillin was the first antibiotic to be used

• All β-lactam antibiotics interfere with the

• Peptidoglycan is a thick structure in gram-positive bacteria (≥10 layers), while it

Moderately Very narrow-

Natural- Pen G, Semisynthetic-

Phenoxymethyl penicillin (Penicillin V)

• Cloxacillin/Dicloxacillin It has an isoxazolyl side chain and is

• β-lactamases are a family of enzymes produced by many

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