Lincosamide

Lincosamide

Lincosamide (pronunciation: lin-koh-sah-mide) is a class of antibiotics that includes clindamycin and lincomycin. These antibiotics are used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, particularly those caused by Gram-positive bacteria.

Etymology

The term "Lincosamide" is derived from the name of one of its members, lincomycin, which was first isolated from the soil bacterium Streptomyces lincolnensis. The "-amide" suffix indicates that these compounds contain an amide group.

Mechanism of Action

Lincosamides work by inhibiting protein synthesis in bacteria. They bind to the 50S subunit of the bacterial ribosome, preventing the addition of new amino acids to the growing peptide chain.

Clinical Use

Lincosamides are used to treat serious infections caused by susceptible anaerobic bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. They are also used in patients who are allergic to penicillin.

Side Effects

Common side effects of lincosamides include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. In rare cases, they can cause more serious side effects like Clostridium difficile infection and anaphylaxis.

Related Terms

• Antibiotic
• Clindamycin
• Lincomycin
• Protein synthesis
• Ribosome
• Amino acid
• Anaerobic bacteria
• Gram-positive bacteria
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Penicillin
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Rash
• Clostridium difficile infection
• Anaphylaxis

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Lincosamide
• Wikipedia's article - Lincosamide

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