Chlortetracycline (trade name Aureomycin, Lederle Laboratories) is a

tetracycline Tetracycline, sold under various brand names, is an antibiotic in the tetracyclines family of medications, used to treat a number of infections, including acne, cholera, brucellosis, plague, malaria, and syphilis. It is available in oral an ...

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy ...

, the first

to be identified. It was discovered in 1945 at Lederle Laboratories under the supervision of

Yellapragada Subbarow Yellapragada Subba Rao (12 January 18958 August 1948) was an Indian American biochemist who discovered the function of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as an energy source in the cell, developed methotrexate for the treatment of cancer and led th ...

and Benjamin Minge Duggar. They were helped by Louis T. Wright, a surgeon who conducted this medication's first human experiments. Duggar identified the antibiotic as the product of an actinomycete he cultured from the soil of Sanborn Field at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

. The organism was named '' Streptomyces aureofaciens'' and the isolated drug, Aureomycin, because of their golden color. It is on the

World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (aka Essential Medicines List or EML), published by the World Health Organization (WHO), contains the medications considered to be most effective and safe to meet the most important needs in a health s ...

Medical uses

A combination cream with

triamcinolone acetonide Triamcinolone acetonide, sold under the brand name Kenalog among others, is a synthetic compound, synthetic corticosteroid medication used topical medication, topically to treat various skin conditions, to relieve the discomfort of mouth sores, ...

is available for the treatment of infected allergic dermatitis in humans. In

veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, medical diagnosis, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all a ...

, chlortetracycline is commonly used to treat

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye or Madras eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear layer that covers the white surface of the eye and the inner eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness ...

cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

, dogs and horses. It is also used to treat infected wounds in cattle, sheep and pigs, and

respiratory tract The respiratory tract is the subdivision of the respiratory system involved with the process of conducting air to the alveoli for the purposes of gas exchange in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respirato ...

infections in calves, pigs and chickens.

Contraindications

Chlortetracycline for systemic use is contraindicated in animals with severe

hepatic The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...

renal In humans, the kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped blood-filtering organs that are a multilobar, multipapillary form of mammalian kidneys, usually without signs of external lobulation. They are located on the left and right in the retrop ...

impairment. Topical chlortetracycline must not be used on the udder of animals whose milk is intended for human consumption.

Adverse effects

Like other tetracyclines, chlortetracyclin can inhibit bone and tooth mineralization in growing and unborn animals, and color their teeth yellow or brown. It can also impair liver and kidney function. Allergic reactions are rare.

Interactions

Chlortetracycline may increase the anticoagulant activities of

acenocoumarol Acenocoumarol is an anticoagulant that functions as a vitamin K antagonist (like warfarin). It is a derivative of coumarin Coumarin () or 2''H''-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula . Its molecule can be descri ...

. The risk or severity of adverse effects can be increased when chlortetracycline is combined with acitretin,

adapalene Adapalene, sold under the brand name Differin among others, is a third-generation topical retinoid primarily used in the treatment of mild-moderate acne, and is also used off-label to treat keratosis pilaris as well as other skin conditions. S ...

, or

alitretinoin Alitretinoin, or 9-cis-retinoic acid, is a form of vitamin A. It is also used in medicine as an antineoplastic (anti-cancer) agent developed by Ligand Pharmaceuticals. It is a first generation retinoid. Ligand gained Food and Drug Administratio ...

. Aluminum phosphate and aluminum hydroxide can cause decreases in the absorption of chlortetracycline resulting in a reduced serum concentration and potentially a decrease in efficacy. The therapeutic efficacy of mecillinam (amdinocillin),

amoxicillin Amoxicillin is an antibiotic medication belonging to the aminopenicillin class of the penicillin family. The drug is used to treat bacterial infections such as middle ear infection, strep throat, pneumonia, skin infections, odontogenic inf ...

, and

ampicillin Ampicillin is an antibiotic belonging to the aminopenicillin class of the penicillin family. The drug is used to prevent and treat several bacterial infections, such as respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, meningitis, s ...

can be decreased when used in combination with chlortetracycline. Chlortetracycline may increase the neuromuscular blocking activities of

atracurium besilate Atracurium besilate, also known as atracurium besylate, is a medication used in addition to other medications to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or mechanical ventilation. It can also be used to help with endotracheal intubat ...

Pharmacology

Mechanism of action

References

{{TetracyclineAntiBiotics Chlorine-containing natural products Tetracycline antibiotics Chloroarenes Dimethylamino compounds Tetrols Hydroxyketones