DESCRIPTIONS OF ANTIBIOTICS 



405 



tion) (14). Very soluble in water; slightly soluble 

 in low molecular weight alcohols; virtually in- 

 soluble in other organic solvents (23). \a]n — 

 -33.5° (14). Reineckate: m.p. 210°C (decomposi- 

 tion, uncorrected) (23). Picrate: m.p. 215°C (de- 

 composition) (14). Oxalate: Crystalline (2). Hy- 

 drolysis products include ammonia, urea, CO2 , 

 and five ninhydrin-positive substances, including: 

 L-serine, Qr,|(3-diaminopropionic acid, /3-lysine, and 

 a Sakaguchi-positive substance which gives a 

 yellow p-hydroxyazol)enzene p-sulfonic acid salt 

 (needles; m.p. 212-215°C), with a pink reaction 

 to the ninhydrin test (8, 13). Vinactin A was re- 

 ported to yield lysine, serine, alanine, glycine, 

 glutamic and aspartic acids on acid hydrolysis, 

 and to contain a guanidino and creatinine group 

 (10). Vinactin and viomycin l)oth gave nine nin- 

 hydrin-positive substances, according to Aral (23). 

 Vinactin B decomposes at 240°C; otherwise is the 

 same qualitatively as A (10). Vinactin C acid 

 hydrolysates contain serine, sarcosine, glycine, 

 and another amino acid with an Rf close to as- 

 partic and glutamic acids (10). 



Biological activity: Active on inxcoliacteria. 

 Very slightly active (20 to 81 ixg per ml) on other 

 bacteria and actinomycetes. Not active on yeasts, 

 filamentovis fungi, protozoa, or viruses (1-3). 

 Bacteriostatic (4). Most active at alkaline pH. Ac- 

 tivity reduced in the presence of serum. No cross- 

 resistance with streptomycin. Resistance de- 

 velops in a fashion similar to streptomycin (3). 

 Active on tuberculosis in guinea pigs and mice 

 (1, 4, 5). Active on K. pneumoniae, Eberthella ty- 

 phosa, Pr. vulgaris, B. anthracis, Pasteurella multo- 

 cida, and Sal. gallinarum infections in mice (4, 

 19). Active on Mycobacterium leprae-murium in- 

 fections (mice) (15). Active in ovo on Rickettsia 

 typhi. Active only at 100 /ig per ml on intracellular 

 M. tuberculosis (in macrophage), although active 

 in vitro at 1.56 fig per ml (12). 



Toxicity: Some discrepancy exists between the 

 toxicities of viomycin and vinactin. Viomycin sul- 

 fate: LD50 (mice) 240 mg per kg intravenously (1), 

 and 1381 mg per kg subcutaneously ((i). LDo (mice) 

 7500 mg per kg orally (6). Viomycin base: LD50 

 (mice) 1()5 mg per kg intravenously (4). Vinactin: 

 LD50 (mice) 35 mg per kg subcutaneously, 25 mg 

 per kg intraperitoneal!}', and 4 mg per kg intra- 

 venously (16). Viomycin at 20 mg per ml causes 

 degeneration of HeLa cells (21). Not locally irri- 

 tating to animals (6), but produces painful nodules 

 at the site of injection in human beings (7). Neuro- 

 toxic to cats; nephrotoxic to dogs (1, 6). Side ef- 

 fects in human beings include reversible eosino- 

 philia, rashes, renal toxicity, electrolj'te imbal- 



ance, possil)le impairment of vestibular function, 

 and deafness (7). 



Utilization: Very moderate effect on clinical 

 tuberculosis, being less effective than streptomy- 

 cin (7) . Used only in cases in which the infecting 

 organism is resistant to streptomycin and isonia- 

 zid, and with careful attention to toxic manifesta- 

 tions (17). 



References: 



1. Finlay, A. C. ct al . Am. Rev. Tulierc. 63: 



1-3, 1951. 



2. Bartz, Q. R. et al. Am. Rev. Tuberc. 6:5: 



4-6, 1951. 



3. Ehrlich, J. et al. Am. Rev. Tuberc. 63: 



7-16, 1951. 



4. Hobby, G. L. e/ a/. Am. Rev. Tuberc. 6.3: 



17-24, 1951. 



5. Steenken, W., Jr. and Wolinsky, E. Am. 



Rev. Tuberc. 63: 30-35, 1951. 



6. P'an, S. Y. et al. Am. Rev. Tulierc. 63: 



44-48, 1951. 



7. Werner, C. A. et al. Am. Rev. Tuberc. 63: 



49-61, 1951. 



8. Haskell, T. H. et al. 12th Intern. Congr. 



Pure Appl. Chem. 282, 1951. 



9. Mayer, R. L. et al. 12th Intern. Congr. 



Pure Appl. Chem. 283-284, 1951. 



10. Townley, R. W. et al. 12th Intern. Congr. 



Pure Appl. Chem. 384, 1951. 



11. Routien, J. B. and Hofmann, A. Antibi- 



oticos y Quimioterapicos 1: 387-389, 

 1951. 



12. Mackane.ss, G. B. J. Pathol. Bacteriol. 



64: 429-44(), 1952. 



13. Haskell, T. H. ct al . J. Am. Chem. Soc. 



74: 599-602, 1952. 



14. Marsh, W. S. ct al. U. S. Patent 2,()33,445, 



March 31, 1953. 



15. Hobby, G. L. et al. Am. Rev. Tuberc. 69: 



173-191, 1954. 



16. Mayer, R. L. ct al. Experientia 1(»: 335- 



336, 1954. 



17. Tucker, W. B. Am. Rev. Tuberc. 70: 812- 



840, 1954. 



18. Welch, H. Principles and practice of anti- 



biotic therapy. ^Medical Encyclopedia, 

 Inc., New York, 1954. 



19. Kiser, J. S. and DeMello, G. C. Proc. 58th 



Ann. Meeting U. S. Livestock Sanitary 

 Assoc. 81-97, 1954. 



20. Burkholder, P. R. et al. Bull. Torrey 



Botan. Clul) 82: 108-117, 1955. 



21. Nitta, K. Japan. J. Med. Sci. ct Biol. 10: 



277-286, 1957. 



22. Sanchez-Marroquin, A. Ciencia, Mexico 



17:21-26, 1957. 



