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Importance of Folic Acid in Chemotherapy and Antibiotics. By: Ashley Higgins. Folic Acid and Antibiotics. Folic acid inhibits sulfa drug treatment in malaria. Sulfa drugs, such as Sulfamethoxazole , are antifolates. Antifolates compete with p-amino benzoate, also known as PABA.
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Importance of Folic Acid in Chemotherapy and Antibiotics By: Ashley Higgins
Folic Acid and Antibiotics • Folic acid inhibits sulfa drug treatment in malaria. • Sulfa drugs, such as Sulfamethoxazole, are antifolates. • Antifolatescompete with p-amino benzoate, also known as PABA. • This leads to the reduction of dihydrofolic acid, also known as DHF. • Folic acid inhibits antifolates, both in vivo and in vitro, which results in inhibiting antifolate so DHF can’t be inhibited.
Folic Acid and Chemotherapy • Bacteria produce folic acid from PABA (p-aminobenzoic acid). • An antibiotic known as Sulfonamides competes with PABA to make folic acid. • Folic acid makes purines. • Purines inhibit nucleic acid synthesis and cell growth which is important in chemotherapy. • Cancer and tumors are made up of rapidly dividing cells. • These rapidly dividing cells are more prone to these purines. • There are several drugs that make folic acid to create purines, such as methotrexate, that are used in chemotherapy. • These purines inhibit cell growth in cancer.
Reference • Bayly, A.M., & Macreadie I.G. (2002). Folic acid antagonism of sulfa drug treatments. Trends in Parasitology, 18 (2). 49-50.