NON-ANTIBIOTIC USE OF ANTIBIOTICS

Abstract

Abstract Antibiotics are widely used medicines in the treatment of infectious diseases. However, some of them show also non-antibiotic properties, which are increasingly used in the treatment of non-infectious diseases. The authors of this publication believe that this is one of the reasons behind antibiotic dissemination in the environment and, ipso facto, behind the increasing risk of bacterial resistance. It is worth remembering that, along with the progress in science and better knowledge of the new properties of antibiotics, every extension of indications for antimicrobial agents may restrict their primary indications. Progress in science does not always mean progress in therapy. In fact, it may sometimes have an opposite effect and we should be able to assess the benefit/risk ratio. The aim of this study was to present other than antibacterial properties of antibiotics which currently are or may be used in the future in the treatment of non-infectious diseases, as well as to assess the long-term effects of extending the indications for medicines commonly used in the treatment of infectious diseases. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, such attempt has not been made so far, therefore authors decided to review the most important, useful or promising reports on non-antibiotic use of antibiotics. The article summarizes the latest data on prokinetic action of erythromycin, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory action of azithromycine, potential use of doxycycline as an anticancer and anti-inflammatory agent, and also anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties of minocycline. Futhermore, the basics of demeclocycline application in the treatment of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone hypesecretion syndrome and rifaximin use as an anti-inflammatory and eubiotic agent are presented. Neuroprotective action of ceftriaxone and anti-inflammatory and immunostimulatory action of fusafungine were also described. 1. Introduction – antibiotics as potentially effective agents in the therapy of non-infectious diseases. 2. Erythromycine – prokinetic action. 3. Azithromycine – anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory action. 4. Doxycycline – anticancer and anti-inflammatory action. 5. Minocycline – anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antioxidant and antiapoptotic action. 6. Demeclocycline – inhibition of the antiantidiuretic hormone action. 7. Rifaximin – anti-inflammatory action / eubiotic. 8. Ceftriaxone – neuroprotective action. 9. Fusafungine – anti-inflammatory and immunostimulatory action. 10. Summary