Application
Sulfameter is a sulfonamide antibiotic used as a leprostatic agent and to treat urinary tract infections1. It has been investigated as a potential therapy for chloroquine-resistant malaria during pregnancy2.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Sulfameter is a sulfonamide antibiotic. Sulfonamides block the synthesis of dihydrofolic acid by inhibiting the enzyme dihydropteroate synthase. Sulfonamides are competitive inhibitors of bacterial para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), which is required for bacterial synthesis of folic acid3. Sulfameter is a dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor. Sulfonamides are active against Gram positive bacteria and Gram negative bacteria. Mode of resistance is via the alteration of dihydropteroate synthase or alternative pathway for folic acid synthesis.