What are macrolides?

macrolides are a class of drugs that have a macrolide ring as part of their chemical structure; This circular structure gives medicines their chemical activity. These drugs are used either to treat bacterial infections or to reduce the activity of the body's immune system. Although drugs in this class may have a number of side effects, they are commonly prescribed because the good they do outweigh their possible adverse effects. Examples of antibiotic macrolides include clarithromycin, erythromycin and azithromycin. Without their ability to produce proteins, bacteria are not able to reproduce. As a result, bacteria levels are stabilized and eventually decreased with the continued use of antibiotics. Clinical symptoms associated with bacterial infection decrease when bacteria die.ons can be treated macrolides. They are commonly used to treat respiratory infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis and sinusitis. Many genitourinary infections such as pelvic inflammatory disease, chlamydia andUrinary tract infections also respond well to these antibiotics. Other uses include treatment of diarrhea and infection of skin infections. Patients with myasthenia gravis , low blood potassium or kidney damage should be cautious when taking these drugs because they could experience more serious side effects. These antibiotics drugs are only available in the United States.

Further use for macrolides is immunosuppressive substances. The mechanism of the effect of these drugs differs from how antibiotic macrolides work. Immunosuppressive macrolides inhibit t cells that are a type of white blood cells important in protecting the body from damage. Reduced activity of T cells leads to suppression of the immune system. Antibiotic macrolides include tacrolimus, pimecrolimus and sirolimus.

Immunosuppressive macrolides are important in the treatment of a number of conditions. One of the use of these lEy is suppressing the immune system of patients who receive organ transplantation. Without immunosuppressive substances, the recipient's immune system could reject the transplanted organ. Another use of drugs is the treatment of various autoimmune diseases such as ulcerative colitis and psoriasis. In these conditions, the immune system attacks the body and the suppression of the immune system leads to reduced symptoms.

side effects of these immunosuppressive substances are usually more serious compared to their antibiotic counterparts. They may reduce blod, increase the risk of infection and cause heart arrhythmia. These drugs are often prescribed only by experts, such as rheumatologists or doctors trained in transplant drugs.