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Aspects of the Mechanism of Action of Some Cephalosporins

Welsh School of Pharmacy, University of Wales, Institute of Science and Technology, Cardiff, Wales, Great Britain

ABSTRACT

Cephaloridine and cephalexin had no effect on ribonucleic acid (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), or protein synthesis in Escherichia coli. However, cephalosporin 7/30 [7-(S-benzylthioacetamido)-cephem-3-ylmethyl-N -dimethyldithiocarbamate-4-carboxylic acid] and dimethyldithiocarbamate (DMDT), which occupies the side chain at position 3 in the 7/30 molecule, inhibited protein synthesis (and, to a lesser extent, RNA and DNA syntheses) in E. coli and had an inhibitory effect on the growth of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. A bioautograph technique showed that two inhibitory spots were obtained with 7/30 but only one such spot with cephaloridine. Release of DMDT onto or in the bacterial cell may be responsible for "unusual" mode of action of cephalosporin 7/30.