Application
Metronidazole is a nitroimidazole used to treat amebiasis, vaginitis, Trichomonas infections, giardiasis, anaerobic bacteria and treponemal infections. Metronidazole is used to study DNA damage and repair and has been found to induce the gene transfer agent VSH-1 in Brachyspira hyodysenteriae. It is commonly used for treatment of periodontitis and is used in bioavailability studies.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Metronidazole induces DNA strand breaks. Metronidazole is used to study DNA damage and repair and has been found to induce the gene transfer agent VSH-1 in Brachyspira hyodysenteriae.
Metronidazole is a prodrug and is selective for anaerobic bacteria due to their ability to intracellularly reduce metronidazole to its active form. Reduced metronidazole covalently binds to DNA which disrupts its helical structure, induces DNA strand breaks and inhibits bacterial nucleic acid synthesis. Bacterial cell death results.