DESCRIPTIONS OF ANTIBIOTICS 



229 



yielding the unstable crystalline base carimbose, 

 C3oH47()i2N (28,29); m.p'. 188~189°C. [a];' = -24° 

 (c = 1 per cent in ethanol). Ultraviolet absorption 

 spectrum maximum at 240 ni/i (£'icm 196) and a 

 weak band at 285 ni/x (i'lcm 1-4) in phosphate 

 buffer at pH 6.0 (9, 12). Hydrogenation yields a 

 biologically active tetrahydroproduct: long color- 

 less needles, softens at 116°C, licjuifies at 118- 

 122°C. [a]f = -53° (c = 0.5 per cent in ethanol). 

 Ultraviolet absorption spectrum maximum at 330 

 m/i. Carbomycin forms the following salts: Hydro- 

 chloride: Amorphous substance (22); m.p. 157- 

 160°C (decomposition), softens at 155°C (9, 22) or 

 149-150°C (12). Soluble in water, methanol, and 

 ethanol. Insoluble in ethyl ether and hexane. Same 

 [a]° as carbomycin base. Sulfate: Crystalline; 

 m.p. 163-164°C (decomposition); shrinks at 158°C 

 (9). Diacetate: m.p. 149-151°C. Pentaacetate: m.p. 

 134-135°C. Thiosernicarbazone: m.p. 170-173°C. 

 Ultraviolet maxima at 230 m/x (^IL 218) and 268 

 m/i (Ei'L 268) (9, 12). Oxime: CrystaUine; m.p. 

 198-199°C (10). Periodate: White crystals; m.p. 

 134-135°C (decomposition) (10). 



Biological activity: In vitro: Active on gram- 

 positive bacteria but not gram-negative bacteria, 

 except Heinophiliis. Active on Actinomyces israelii 

 and mycobacteria but not on Nocardia asteroides. 

 Not active on fungi. Active on pleuropneumonia- 

 like organisms (PPLO) (1, 2, 6, 10). Moderately 

 active on Endamoeba histolytica, Trypanosoma 

 cruzi, Leiskmania donovani; less active on T. rho- 

 desiense, Trichmonas vaginalis, and T. foetus (5). 

 Cross-resistance with erythromycin, oleandomy- 

 cin, spiramycin, and streptogramin (23), resist- 

 ance developing slowly in a stepwise pattern (1). 

 Activity luiaffected by serum (10). The highest 

 concentration permitting epithelial cell migration 

 in tissue culture is 190 /xg per ml (30). In vivo: 

 Active (in mice) on infections caused by Strepto- 

 coccus pyogenes, D. pneumoniae, Staph, aureus, 

 and Pasteurella multocida (4, 16). Antitoxoplasmic 

 activity (rabbits) (17). Active on PPLO causing 

 the air sac disease in ovo and in adult chickens 

 (10). Active on the following rickettsiae in eggs 

 and a variety of experimental animals; Rickettsia 

 prowazekii, R. mooseri, R. typhi, R. akari, R. 

 tsutsugamushi , R. rickettsii, R. conorii, Coxiella 

 burnetii, and North Queensland tick typhus. Also 

 active on the organisms causing psittacosis, lym- 

 phogranuloma venereum, himian and feline pneu- 

 monitis, bovine encephalomyelitis, ornithosis, 

 canine distemper, meningopneumonitis, and blue- 

 tongue (Sonora strain). Such rickettsiae and psit- 

 tacosis-like forms can be recovered from surviving 

 treated animals, indicating a static effect of the 



drug. No activity on herpes simplex, rabies, vac- 

 cinia, or poliomyelitis type II (5, 7, 8, 10, 15, 18, 

 22). Prolongs survival time in mice infected with 

 Clostridium perfringens and C. histolyticum (31). 

 Anthelmintic activity against Aspicularis tetrap- 

 tera and Syphacia obvelata in mice (8). In- 

 creases growth rate of poultry and swine (1, 19). 

 Controls Rhizoctonia infection of lettuce (13). 

 Causes elongation of wheat roots in water solu- 

 tion (3). 



Toxicity: LDso (mice) 550 mg per kg intrave- 

 nously, 900 to 1000 mg per kg intramuscularly, 

 2950 mg per kg subcutaneously, and 550 mg per 

 kg orally (1). LD50 (rats) 700 mg per kg intra- 

 venously, and >5000 mg per kg orally (10). Highly 

 toxic to guinea pigs (8). Eggs tolerate 10 mg per 

 embryo (15). Minimal dose causing inhibition of 

 mitosis in HeLa cells is 62.5 jug per "^1 (27); 1 to 

 10 ixg per ml has no effect on human spermatozoa 

 (5). 



Utilization: Infections caused by gram-positive 

 organisms, especially staphylococci resistant to 

 other antibiotics. Amoebiasis. Veterinary medi- 

 cine. Less effective than penicillin (5, 14, 18). 



References: 



1. Tanner, F. W., Jr. et al. Antil)iotics & 



Chemotherapy 2: 441-443, 1952. 



2. Welch, H. et al. AntiVjiotics & Chemother- 



apy 2: 693-696, 1952. 



3. Barton, L. V. and MacNab, J. Contrib. 



Boyce Thompson Inst. 17: 419-434, 1954. 



4. English, A. R. et al. Antibiotics & Chemo- 



therapy 3: 94-98, 1953. 



5. Seneca, H. and Ides, D. Antibiotics & 



Chemotherapy 3: 117-121, 1953. 



6. P'usillo, M. H. et al. Antibiotics & Chemo- 



therapy 3: 581-586, 1953. 



7. Wong, S. C. et al. Antibiotics & Chemo- 



therapy 3: 741-750, 1953. 



8. Pagano, J. F. et al. Antibiotics & Chemo- 



therapy 3: 899-902, 1953. 



9. Dutcher, J. D. et cd. Antibiotics & Chemo- 



therapy 3: 910-914, 1953. 



10. Finlay, A. and Regna, P. P. 6th Intern. 



Congr. Microbiol., Rome 58-72, 1953. 



11. Regna, P. P. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 75: 



4625-4626, 1953. 



12. Wagner, R. L. et al . J. Am. Chem. Soc. 



75: 4684-4687, 1953. 



13. Hilborn, M. T. Phytopathology 43: 475, 

 1953. 



14. Hewitt, W. L. and Wood, J. P. New Engl. 



J. Med. 249: 261-269, 1953. 



15. Price, D. A. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 125: 



199-202, 1954. 



