CEPHALOSPORINS
CEPHALOSPORINS There are presently over 20 different cephalosporin drugs available for either human or veterinary use. Ten separate monographs of cephalosporins that appear to have the most current veterinary use and/or applicability may be found by their generic name. Pharmacology - The cephalosporin antibiotics are comprised of several different classes of compounds with dissimilar spectrums of activity and pharmacokinetic profiles. All “true” cephalosporins are derived from cephalosporin C which is produced from Cephalosporium acremonium . Cephalosporins are usually bactericidal against susceptible bacteria and act by inhibiting mucopeptide synthesis in the cell wall resulting in a defective barrier and an osmotically unstable spheroplast. The exact mechanism for this effect has not been definitively determined, but betalactam antibiotics have been shown to bind to several enzymes (carboxypeptidases, transpeptidases, endopeptidases) within the bacterial cytoplasmic