Chlortetracycline (trade name Aureomycin,

Lederle Laboratories American Cyanamid Company was a leading American conglomerate which became one of the nation's top 100 manufacturing companies during the 1970s and 1980s, according to the Fortune 500 listings at the time. It started in fertilizer, but added ...

) is a

tetracycline Tetracycline, sold under various brand names, is an oral antibiotic in the tetracyclines family of medications, used to treat a number of infections, including acne, cholera, brucellosis, plague, malaria, and syphilis. Common side effects ...

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy, ...

, the first

to be identified. It was discovered in 1945 at Lederle Laboratories under the supervision of scientist Yellapragada Subbarow and Benjamin Minge Duggar. Duggar identified the antibiotic as the product of an actinomycete he cultured from a soil sample collected from

Sanborn Field Sanborn Field is an agricultural experiment field, located on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia, Missouri. Established in 1888, it was the first facility in the United States intended to measure erosion and run-off for differing cro ...

at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded ...

. The organism was named '' Streptomyces aureofaciens'' and the isolated drug, Aureomycin, because of their golden color. It is on the

World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (aka Essential Medicines List or EML), published by the World Health Organization (WHO), contains the medications considered to be most effective and safe to meet the most important needs in a health s ...

Medical uses

A combination cream with triamcinolone acetonide is available for the treatment of infected allergic dermatitis in humans. In

veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...

, chlortetracycline is commonly used to treat

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is inflammation of the outermost layer of the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness, or itchiness may occur. The ...

cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

, dogs and horses. It is also used to treat infected wounds in cattle, sheep and pigs, and

respiratory tract The respiratory tract is the subdivision of the respiratory system involved with the process of respiration in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respiratory mucosa. Air is breathed in through the nose to ...

infections in calves, pigs and chickens.

Contraindications

Chlortetracycline for systemic use is contraindicated in animals with severe

hepatic The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it ...

renal The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; bloo ...

impairment. Topical chlortetracycline must not be used on the udder of animals whose milk is intended for human consumption.

Adverse effects

Like other tetracyclines, chlortetracyclin can inhibit bone and tooth mineralization in growing and unborn animals, and color their teeth yellow or brown. It can also impair liver and kidney function. Allergic reactions are rare.

Interactions

Chlortetracycline may increase the anticoagulant activities of acenocoumarol. The risk or severity of adverse effects can be increased when chlortetracycline is combined with

acitretin Acitretin (trade names Soriatane and Neotigason) is a second-generation retinoid. It is taken orally, and is typically used for psoriasis. Acitretin is an oral retinoid used in the treatment of severe resistant psoriasis. Because of the potenti ...

, adapalene, or alitretinoin. Aluminum phosphate and aluminum hydroxide can cause decreases in the absorption of chlortetracycline resulting in a reduced serum concentration and potentially a decrease in efficacy. The therapeutic efficacy of mecillinam (amdinocillin), amoxicillin, and

ampicillin Ampicillin is an antibiotic used to prevent and treat a number of bacterial infections, such as respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, meningitis, salmonellosis, and endocarditis. It may also be used to prevent group B stre ...

can be decreased when used in combination with chlortetracycline. Chlortetracycline may increase the neuromuscular blocking activities of atracurium besilate.

Pharmacology

Mechanism of action

References

{{TetracyclineAntiBiotics Chloroarenes Tetracycline antibiotics