Abstract
Summary
In previous studies we showed that the immunosuppressive effects of chloramphenicol are related to its ability to inhibit protein synthesis in cells being committed to newly induced protein synthesis. In the present study a number of chloramphenicol analogs were 4–6 times as effective as chloramphenicol in suppressing the primary immune response and in prolonging the survival of skin homografts in rabbits. These analogs have an antimicrobial effectiveness equivalent to that of chloramphenicol. The dissociation between the antimicrobial and immuno-suppressive effectiveness of these compounds is probably related to structural modifications and cellular mechanisms rather than to higher or more sustained levels of these antibiotics. The most effective analog of chloramphenicol with respect to immunosuppression was the CH3SO2 derivative (Thiocymetin). Preliminary studies with this compound in patients with lupus glomerulonephritis indicate that this analog of chloramphenicol may have some clinical application.
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