Tolnaftate (
INN)
is a synthetic
thiocarbamate used as an
anti-fungal agent that may be sold
without medical prescription in most jurisdictions. It is supplied as a cream, powder, spray, liquid, and
liquid aerosol.
Tolnaftate is used to treat fungal conditions such as
jock itch
Jock may refer to:
Common meanings
* Jock (stereotype), a North American term for a stereotypical male athlete
* Jock, a derogatory term for Scottish people mostly used by the English
* Short for jockstrap, an item of male protective undergarm ...
,
athlete's foot
Athlete's foot, known medically as ''tinea pedis'', is a common skin infection of the feet caused by a fungus. Signs and symptoms often include itching, scaling, cracking and redness. In rare cases the skin may blister. Athlete's foot fungus ...
and
ringworm
Dermatophytosis, also known as ringworm, is a fungal infection of the skin. Typically it results in a red, itchy, scaly, circular rash. Hair loss may occur in the area affected. Symptoms begin four to fourteen days after exposure. Multiple ar ...
.
Mechanism
Although the exact mechanism of action is not entirely known, it is believed to inhibit
squalene epoxidase
Squalene monooxygenase (also called squalene epoxidase) is a eukaryotic enzyme that uses NADPH and diatomic oxygen to oxidize squalene to 2,3-oxidosqualene (squalene epoxide). Squalene epoxidase catalyzes the first oxygenation step in sterol b ...
,
an important enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of
ergosterol
Ergosterol (ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3β-ol) is a sterol found in cell membranes of fungi and protozoa, serving many of the same functions that cholesterol serves in animal cells. Because many fungi and protozoa cannot survive without ergosterol, t ...
(a key component of the fungal cell membrane) in a similar way to
terbinafine.
Uses
Tolnaftate has been found to be generally slightly less effective than
azole
Azoles are a class of five-membered heterocyclic compounds containing a nitrogen atom and at least one other non-carbon atom (i.e. nitrogen, sulfur, or oxygen) as part of the ring.
Their names originate from the Hantzsch–Widman nomenclature. T ...
s when used to treat
tinea pedis
Dermatophytosis, also known as ringworm, is a fungal infection of the skin. Typically it results in a red, itchy, scaly, circular rash. Hair loss may occur in the area affected. Symptoms begin four to fourteen days after exposure. Multiple ...
(athlete's foot). It is, however, useful when dealing with
ringworm
Dermatophytosis, also known as ringworm, is a fungal infection of the skin. Typically it results in a red, itchy, scaly, circular rash. Hair loss may occur in the area affected. Symptoms begin four to fourteen days after exposure. Multiple ar ...
, especially when passed from pets to humans.
[Crawford F, Hart R, Bell-Syer S, Torgerson D, Young P, Russell I. Topical treatments for fungal infections of the skin and nails of the foot (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2003. Oxford: Update Software.]
Side effects
Side effects that may occur include:
* allergic reactions like:
**
skin rash
A rash is a change of the human skin which affects its color, appearance, or texture.
A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, cr ...
**
itch
Itch (also known as pruritus) is a sensation that causes the desire or reflex to scratch. Itch has resisted many attempts to be classified as any one type of sensory experience. Itch has many similarities to pain, and while both are unpleasant ...
ing or
hives
Hives, also known as urticaria, is a kind of skin rash with red, raised, itchy bumps. Hives may burn or sting. The patches of rash may appear on different body parts, with variable duration from minutes to days, and does not leave any long-last ...
** swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
*
inflammation
Inflammation (from la, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molec ...
, redness, or
pain
Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, ...
at the affected area
Less severe side effects include:
*
dry skin
Xeroderma, xerosis or xerosis cutis, or simply dry skin, is a skin condition characterized by excessively dry skin.
The medical term ''xeroderma'', meaning "dry skin", derives from modern Latin, ''xero-'' 'dry' + Greek ''derma'' 'skin'.
In most ...
* mild skin irritation, burning, or itching at the affected area
See also
*
Liranaftate
Liranaftate (trade name Zefnart) is a topical antifungal drug. It is used as a 2% cream used to treat tinea pedis (athlete's foot), tinea corporis (ringworm), and tinea cruris (jock itch). It was approved for use in Japan in August 2000.
Lirana ...
, a similar
thiocarbamate antifungal
References
External links
Medline's entry for tolnaftate
{{Xenobiotic-sensing receptor modulators
Antifungals
Naphthol esters
Thiocarbamates
Merck & Co. brands
Bayer brands
3-Tolyl compounds
2-Naphthyl compounds