Application
Sulfacetamide is an antibiotic that is used to treat skin infections and urinary tract infections1. Sulfacetamide is used to study the treatment of acne and seborrheic dermatitis2. It is used to study neonatal chlamydial conjunctivitis and meningococcal conjunctivitis.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Sulfacetamide is a sulfonamide antibiotic that blocks the synthesis of dihydrofolic acid by inhibiting the enzyme dihydropteroate synthase. Sulfacetamide is a competitive inhibitor of bacterial para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), which is required for bacterial synthesis of folic acid1. It is active against Gram positive bacteria, Gram negative bacteria and Chlamydia. Mode of resistance is via the alteration of dihydropteroate synthase or alternative pathway for folic acid synthesis.