Doxycycline

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Doxycycline

Doxycycline (INN

International Nonproprietary Name

An International Nonproprietary Name is the official non-proprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as designated by the World Health Organization ....
) is a member of the tetracycline antibiotics

Tetracycline antibiotics

Infection

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host resources to multiply ....
s. Doxycycline is a semi-synthetic tetracycline invented and clinically developed in the early 1960s by Pfizer Inc.

Pfizer

Pfizer Incorporated is a major pharmaceutical company, ranking number one in sales in the world. The company is based in New York City, and its research headquarters is in Groton, Connecticut....
and marketed under the brand name Vibramycin. Vibramycin received FDA approval in 1967, becoming Pfizer's first once-a-day broad-spectrum antibiotic. Other brand names include Monodox, Microdox, Periostat, Vibra-Tabs, Doryx, Vibrox, Adoxa, Doxyhexal and Atridox (topical doxycycline hyclate for Periodontitis).

ell as the general indications for all members of the tetracycline antibiotics

Tetracycline antibiotics

Prostatitis

Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland, in men. A prostatitis diagnosis is assigned at 8% of all urologist and 1% of all primary care physician visits in the United States....
, sinusitis

Sinusitis

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may or may not be as a result of infection, from bacterial, fungus, virus, allergy or autoimmunity issues....
, syphilis

Syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The route of transmission of syphilis is almost always through sexual contact, although there are examples of congenital syphilis via transmission from mother to child in utero....
, chlamydia, pelvic inflammatory disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease is a generic term for inflammation of the female uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries as it progresses to scar formation with Adhesion to nearby tissues and organs....
, acne

Acne vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is a skin condition caused by changes in the pilosebaceous units . Severe acne is inflammation, but acne can also manifest in noninflammatory forms....
and rosacea

Rosacea

Rosacea is a chronic condition characterized by facial erythema . Pimples are sometimes included as part of the definition.It is a common but often misunderstood condition that is estimated to affect over 45 million people worldwide....
.

s used in prophylaxis against malaria

Malaria

Malaria is a Vector -borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. It is widespread in Tropics and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa....
.

It should not be used alone for initial treatment of malaria, even when the parasite is doxycyline-sensitive, because the antimalarial effect of doxycyline is delayed.

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Encyclopedia

Doxycycline (INN

International Nonproprietary Name

Tetracycline antibiotics

Infection

Pfizer

Indicated uses

As well as the general indications for all members of the tetracycline antibiotics

Tetracycline antibiotics

Prostatitis

Sinusitis

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may or may not be as a result of infection, from bacterial, fungus, virus, allergy or autoimmunity issues....
, syphilis

Syphilis

Pelvic inflammatory disease

Acne vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is a skin condition caused by changes in the pilosebaceous units . Severe acne is inflammation, but acne can also manifest in noninflammatory forms....
and rosacea

Rosacea

Antiprotozoal

It is used in prophylaxis against malaria

Malaria

Apicoplast

The apicoplast is a relict, non-photosynthetic plastid found in most Apicomplexa, including malaria parasites such as Plasmodium falciparum, but not in others such as Cryptosporidium....
genes resulting in their abnormal cell division.

It can be used in a treatment plan in combination with other agents, such as quinine

Quinine

Quinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial drug, analgesic , and anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste....
.

Antibacterial

It is used in the treatment and prophylaxis

Prophylaxis

Prophylaxis is any medical or public health procedure whose purpose is to prevent, rather than treat or cure a disease. Roughly, prophylactic measures are divided between primary prophylaxis and secondary prophylaxis ....
of Bacillus anthracis
Bacillus anthracis

Bacillus anthracis is a very large bacterium compared to others. It is a Gram-positive spore-forming rod-shaped bacterium, with a width of 1-1.2?m and a length of 3-5?m....
(anthrax

Anthrax

Anthrax is an Acute disease in humans and animals caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which is highly lethal in some forms. There are effective vaccines against anthrax, and some forms of the disease respond well to antibiotic treatment....
)

It is also effective against Yersinia pestis
Yersinia pestis

Yersinia pestis is a Gram-negative bacillus bacterium belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae. It is a facultative anaerobe that can infect humans and other animals....
(the infectious agent of bubonic plague) and is prescribed for the treatment of Lyme disease

Lyme disease

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia....
,, ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne disease of dogs usually caused by the organism Ehrlichia canis. Ehrlichia canis is the pathogen of animals....
and Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas....
. In fact, because doxycycline is one of the few medications shown to be effective in treating Rocky Mountain spotted fever (with the next best alternative being chloramphenicol), doxycycline is indicated even in use in children for this illness. Otherwise, doxycycline is not indicated in the use in children under the age of 8 years. Doxycycline, like other antibiotics, will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.

When bacteriologic testing indicates appropriate susceptibility to the drug, doxycycline may be used to treat and prevent:

Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli

'Escherichia coli' , is a Gram negative bacterium that is commonly found in the lower gastrointestinal tract of warm-blooded animals. Most E....
Enterobacter aerogenes
Enterobacter aerogenes

Enterobacter aerogenes is a Gram-negative, Oxidase test negative, catalase positive, Citrate test positive, Indole test negative, Bacillus bacterium....
(formerly Aerobacter aerogenes)
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia....
, aka Lyme Borelliosis Complex (B. burgdorferi)
folliculitis
Folliculitis

Folliculitis is the inflammation of one or more hair follicles. The condition may occur anywhere on the skin....
Acne
Acne

Acne is a group of skin rashes that have different causes.* Acne vulgaris - most commonly experienced around puberty, typically of the face and shoulders/chest...
Shigella
Shigella

Shigella is a genus of Gram-negative, Endospore rod-shaped bacterium closely related to Escherichia coli and Salmonella. The causative agent of human shigellosis, Shigella cause disease in primates, but not in other mammals....
species
Acinetobacter
Acinetobacter

Acinetobacter is a Gram-negative genus of Bacteria belonging to the Gammaproteobacteria. Motility, Acinetobacter species are Oxidase test, and occur in pairs under magnification....
species (formerly Mima species and Herellea species)
Respiratory tract infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae
Haemophilus influenzae

Haemophilus influenzae, formerly called Pfeiffer's bacillus or Bacillus influenzae, is a non-motile Gram-negative coccobacillus first described in 1892 by Richard Friedrich Johannes Pfeiffer during an influenza pandemic....
Respiratory tract and urinary tract infections
UTI

UTI may refer to:* Universal Technical Institute, a nationwide provider of technical education for automotive technicians* Urinary tract infection, a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract...
Upper respiratory infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae
Streptococcus pneumoniae

Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus, is a Gram-positive, Hemolysis diplococcus aerotolerant anaerobe and a member of the genus Streptococcus....
(formerly Diplococcus pneumoniae)
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections

Anthelmintic

Elephantiasis

Elephantiasis is a disease that is characterized by the thickening of the skin and underlying tissues, especially in the legs and genitals. In some cases, the disease can cause certain body parts, such as the scrotum, to swell to the size of a softball or basketball ....
is a disease caused by a nematode

Nematode

The "roundworms" or "nematodes" are the most diverse phylum of body cavity, and one of the most diverse of all animals. Nematode species are very difficult to distinguish; over 80,000 have been described, of which over 15,000 are parasite....
(worm) Wuchereria bancrofti
Wuchereria bancrofti

Wuchereria bancrofti or Filaria, is a parasite filariasis worm spread by a mosquito Vector . It is one of the three parasites that cause lymphatic filariasis....
. It causes swollen limbs and genitals (Filariasis

Filariasis

Filariasis is a parasite and infection tropical disease, that is caused by thread-like filarial nematode worms. There are 9 known filarial nematodes which use humans as the parasitic life cycles....
) and affects over 120 million people in the world. Previous anti-nematode treatments have been limited by poor levels of effectiveness, drug side effects and high costs. Doxycycline was shown in 2003 to kill the symbiotic Wolbachia
Wolbachia

Wolbachia is a genus of inherited bacterium which infects arthropod species, including a high proportion of insects. It is one of the world's most common parasitic microbes and is potentially the most common reproductive parasite in the biosphere....
bacteria upon which the nematodes are dependent. Field trials in 2005 showed that Doxycycline almost completely eliminates blood-borne filaria when given for an 8 week course.

Cautions and side effects

Cautions and side effects are similar to other members of the tetracycline antibiotic

Tetracycline antibiotics

Photodermatitis

Photodermatitis, or sometimes called by the nonscientific term sun poisoning, is a reaction of the skin to UV rays of the sun, or photoallergy....
is of particular importance for those intending long-term use for malaria prophylaxis because it can cause permanent sensitive and thin skin.

Reports of GERD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease ', Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease ', Gastric reflux disease, or Acid reflux disease is defined as chronic symptoms or mucosal damage produced by the abnormal reflux in...
have been cited with the use of doxycycline.

Unlike some other members of the tetracycline group, it may be used in those with renal impairment.

Previously, it was believed that doxycycline impairs the effectiveness of many types of hormonal contraception

Hormonal contraception

Hormonal contraception refers to birth control methods that act on the hormone system.Currently, all hormonal contraceptives are designed for use by women rather than men, though research on a male oral contraceptive has been underway for some time....
due to CYP450 induction. Recent research has shown no significant loss of effectiveness in oral contraceptives while using most tetracycline antibiotic

Tetracycline antibiotics

Tetracyclines are a group of broad-spectrum antibiotics whose general usefulness has been reduced with the onset of bacterial resistance. Despite this, they remain the treatment of choice for some specific indications....
(including doxycycline), although many physicians still recommend the use of barrier contraception for people taking the drug to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

It should be taken with a full glass of water and patients should be upright for at least 30 minutes after administration to prevent irritation of the esophagus and stomach. Also, there is a slim risk of liver damage during prolonged use of the drug. It is also recommended that it be taken with a small meal of a non-dairy nature if upset stomach, nausea, or fatigue occurs.

Doxycycline is not approved for use in children under the age of 8 years for two reasons: 1) it can cause permanent yellowing or graying of the teeth, and 2), according to CDC patient information on doxycycline, it can inhibit bone growth in premature infants during the time the medication is taken; this last effect disappears when the doxycycline treatment is over. Specific exceptions are made for potentially fatal illnesses where the benefits outweigh the risks and there are few or no other alternatives, such as with Rocky Mountain spotted fever and anthrax. It should also not be used in pregnant and nursing women, as the drug can cause damage to a fetus and nursing child.

Experimental applications

At subantimicrobial doses, doxycycline is an inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase

Matrix metalloproteinase

Matrix metalloproteinases are zinc-dependent endopeptidases; other family members are adamalysins, serralysins, and astacins. The MMPs belong to a larger family of proteases known as the metzincin superfamily....
s, and has been used in various experimental systems for this purpose; such as for recalcitrant recurrent corneal erosion

Recurrent corneal erosion

Recurrent corneal erosion is a disorder of the eyes characterized by the failure of the cornea's outermost layer of epithelial cells to attach to the underlying basement membrane ....
s. Doxycycline has been used successfully in the treatment of one patient with lymphangioleiomyomatosis

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis is a rare lung disease that results in disorderly smooth muscle proliferation throughout the bronchioles, alveolar septa, perivascular spaces, and lymphatics, resulting in the obstruction of small airways and lymphatic system ....
, an otherwise progressive and fatal disease. Doxycyline has also been shown to attenuate cardiac hypertrophy (in mice), a deadly consequence of prolonged hypertension.

Doxycycline is also used in "Tet-on" and "Tet-off" tetracycline controlled transcriptional activation to regulate transgene

Transgene

A transgene is a gene or Genetics material that has been transferred naturally or by any of a number of genetic engineering techniques from one organism to another....
expression in organisms and cell culture

Cell culture

Cell culture is the process by which prokaryote or eukaryote cells are grown under controlled conditions. In practice the term "cell culture" has come to refer to the culturing of cells derived from multicellular eukaryotes, especially animal cells....
s.

Other experimental applications include:

Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus

Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus is the name given to a group of Bacterium species of the genus Enterococcus that is Antibiotic resistance to the antibiotic vancomycin....
(VRE)
Infected animal bite wounds (Pasteurella multocida
Pasteurella multocida

Pasteurella multocida is a Gram-negative, non-motile coccobacillus that is penicillin-sensitive and belongs to the Pasteurellaceae family . It can cause a zoonotic infection in humans, which typically is a result of bites or scratches from domestic pets....
, Pasteurella pneumotropica)
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic disease inflammation that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks the joints producing a inflammatory synovitis that often progresses to destruction of the articular cartilage and ankylosis of the joints....
and reactive arthritis
Reactive arthritis

Reactive arthritis is an autoimmune condition that develops in response to an infection in another part of the body. Coming into contact with bacteria and developing an infection can trigger reactive arthritis....
.
Chronic inflammatory lung diseases (panbronchiolitis, asthma
Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in which the Lung constrict, become inflammation, and are lined with excessive amounts of thickened mucus, often in response to one or more triggers....
, cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis is a Genetic disorder affecting the exocrine glands of the lungs, liver, pancreas, and intestines, causing progressive disability due to multisystem failure....
, bronchitis
Bronchitis

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchus in the lungs. It can progress to pneumonia. Acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks....
)
Sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis, also called sarcoid or Besnier-Boeck disease, is a multisystem disorder characterized by non-caseating granulomas . It most commonly arises in young adults....
Prevention of aortic aneurysm in people with Marfan Syndrome
Marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue.It is sometimes inherited as a Autosomal dominant trait. It is carried by a gene called FBN1, which encodes a connective protein called fibrillin-1....
.
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, leading to demyelinating disease. Disease onset usually occurs in young adults, and it is more common in females....
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
Treatment of filariasis
Filariasis

Filariasis is a parasite and infection tropical disease, that is caused by thread-like filarial nematode worms. There are 9 known filarial nematodes which use humans as the parasitic life cycles....
and onchocerciasis
Onchocerciasis

Onchocerciasis , also known as river blindness, is the world's second leading infection cause of blindness. It is caused by Onchocerca volvulus, a nematode that can live for up to fifteen years in the human body....
due to filariae and onchocerca
Onchocerca

Onchocerca is a genus of roundworm. It contains one human parasite - Onchocerca volvulus - which is responsible for the neglected disease Onchocerciasis, also known as "River Blindness" because the infected humans tend to live near rivers where host black flies live....
e generally harbouring endosybiotic Wolbachia
Wolbachia

Wolbachia is a genus of inherited bacterium which infects arthropod species, including a high proportion of insects. It is one of the world's most common parasitic microbes and is potentially the most common reproductive parasite in the biosphere....
bacteria. Doxycycline kills the bacteria, and (by removal of the endosymbiotes) the nematodes.

Doxycycline

Indicated uses

Antiprotozoal

Antibacterial

Anthelmintic

Cautions and side effects

Experimental applications

External links