Ticarcillin
Encyclopedia
Ticarcillin is a carboxypenicillin
. It is almost invariably sold and used in combination with clavulanate as Timentin. Because it is a penicillin, it also falls within the larger class of beta-lactam
antibiotics. Its main clinical use is as an injectable antibiotic for the treatment of gram-negative
bacteria, in particular, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. It is also one of the few antibiotics capable of treating Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
infections.
It is provided as a white or pale-yellow powder. It is highly soluble in water, but should be dissolved only immediately before use to prevent degradation.
during cell wall
synthesis, when the bacteria tries to divide, causing cell death.
Ticarcillin, like penicillin
, contains a β-lactam
ring that can be cleaved by β-lactamases
, resulting in inactivation of the antibiotic. Those bacteria that can express β-lactamases are, therefore, resistant to β-lactam antibiotics
. Due, at least in part, to the common β-lactam ring, ticarcillin can cause reactions in patients allergic to penicillin. Ticarcillin is also often paired with a β-lactamase inhibitor
such as clavulanic acid
.
, ticarcillin is used to as an alternative to ampicillin
to test the uptake of marker gene
s into bacteria. It prevents the appearance of satellite colonies that occur when ampicillin breaks down in the media. It is also used in plant molecular biology to kill agrobacterium
, which is used to deliver genes to plant cells.
Carboxypenicillin
The carboxypenicillins are a group of antibiotics. They belong to the penicillin family and comprise the members carbenicillin and ticarcillin.- Chemical structure :...
. It is almost invariably sold and used in combination with clavulanate as Timentin. Because it is a penicillin, it also falls within the larger class of beta-lactam
Beta-lactam
A β-lactam ring, is a four-membered lactam. It is named as such, because the nitrogen atom is attached to the β-carbon relative to the carbonyl...
antibiotics. Its main clinical use is as an injectable antibiotic for the treatment of gram-negative
Gram-negative
Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain crystal violet dye in the Gram staining protocol. In a Gram stain test, a counterstain is added after the crystal violet, coloring all Gram-negative bacteria with a red or pink color...
bacteria, in particular, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium that can cause disease in animals, including humans. It is found in soil, water, skin flora, and most man-made environments throughout the world. It thrives not only in normal atmospheres, but also in hypoxic atmospheres, and has, thus, colonized many...
. It is also one of the few antibiotics capable of treating Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an aerobic, nonfermentative, Gram-negative bacterium. It is an uncommon bacterium and human infection is difficult to treat. Initially classified as Pseudomonas maltophilia, S. maltophilia was also grouped in the genus Xanthomonas before eventually becoming the type...
infections.
It is provided as a white or pale-yellow powder. It is highly soluble in water, but should be dissolved only immediately before use to prevent degradation.
Mechanism of action
Ticarcillin's antibiotic properties arise from its ability to prevent cross-linking of peptidoglycanPeptidoglycan
Peptidoglycan, also known as murein, is a polymer consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like layer outside the plasma membrane of bacteria , forming the cell wall. The sugar component consists of alternating residues of β- linked N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmuramic acid...
during cell wall
Cell wall
The cell wall is the tough, usually flexible but sometimes fairly rigid layer that surrounds some types of cells. It is located outside the cell membrane and provides these cells with structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mechanism. A major function of the cell wall is to...
synthesis, when the bacteria tries to divide, causing cell death.
Ticarcillin, like penicillin
Penicillin
Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....
, contains a β-lactam
Beta-lactam
A β-lactam ring, is a four-membered lactam. It is named as such, because the nitrogen atom is attached to the β-carbon relative to the carbonyl...
ring that can be cleaved by β-lactamases
Beta-lactamase
Beta-lactamases are enzymes produced by some bacteria and are responsible for their resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics like penicillins, cephamycins, and carbapenems . These antibiotics have a common element in their molecular structure: a four-atom ring known as a beta-lactam...
, resulting in inactivation of the antibiotic. Those bacteria that can express β-lactamases are, therefore, resistant to β-lactam antibiotics
Beta-lactam antibiotic
β-Lactam antibiotics are a broad class of antibiotics, consisting of all antibiotic agents that contains a β-lactam nucleus in its molecular structure. This includes penicillin derivatives , cephalosporins , monobactams, and carbapenems...
. Due, at least in part, to the common β-lactam ring, ticarcillin can cause reactions in patients allergic to penicillin. Ticarcillin is also often paired with a β-lactamase inhibitor
Beta-lactamase inhibitor
A beta-lactamase inhibitor is a drug given in conjunction with a beta-lactam antibiotic. Although the inhibitor does not usually have significant antibiotic activity on its own, it inhibits activity of beta-lactamase, a protein that confers resistance of beta-lactam antibiotics to...
such as clavulanic acid
Clavulanic acid
Clavulanic acid is a competitive β-lactamase inhibitor combined with penicillin group antibiotics to overcome certain types of antibiotic resistance. It is used to overcome resistance in bacteria that secrete β-lactamase, which otherwise inactivates most penicillins...
.
Other uses
In molecular biologyMolecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
, ticarcillin is used to as an alternative to ampicillin
Ampicillin
Ampicillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic that has been used extensively to treat bacterial infections since 1961. Until the introduction of ampicillin by the British company Beecham, penicillin therapies had only been effective against Gram-positive organisms such as staphylococci and streptococci...
to test the uptake of marker gene
Marker gene
A marker gene is a gene used in molecular biology to determine if a nucleic acid sequence has been successfully inserted into an organism's DNA. There are two types of marker genes: a selectable marker and a marker for screening.-Selectable marker:...
s into bacteria. It prevents the appearance of satellite colonies that occur when ampicillin breaks down in the media. It is also used in plant molecular biology to kill agrobacterium
Agrobacterium
Agrobacterium is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria established by H. J. Conn that uses horizontal gene transfer to cause tumors in plants. Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the most commonly studied species in this genus...
, which is used to deliver genes to plant cells.
Dosing and posology
Ticarcillin is not absorbed orally, and therefore must be given by intravenous or intramuscular injectionTrade names and preparations
- Ticarcillin: Ticar (Formerly marketed by BeechamBeecham (pharmaceutical company)Beecham was a British pharmaceutical company. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Beecham, after having merged with SmithKline Beckman, merged with GlaxoWellcome to become GlaxoSmithKline .-History:...
, then SmithKline Beecham until 1999, when it merged with Glaxo to form GlaxoSmithKlineGlaxoSmithKlineGlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
; it is no longer available in the UK. US distribution ceased in 2004. Ticar was replaced by Timentin.)
- Ticarcillin/clavulanate: Timentin (Australia, UK and US, marketed by BeechamBeecham (pharmaceutical company)Beecham was a British pharmaceutical company. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Beecham, after having merged with SmithKline Beckman, merged with GlaxoWellcome to become GlaxoSmithKline .-History:...
, then GlaxoSmithKlineGlaxoSmithKlineGlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
).