ethambutol brands

Molecular formula: C10H24N2O2

Ethambutol diffuses into _Mycobacterium_ cells. Once inside the cell, ethambutol inhibits the arabinosyltransferases (embA, embB, and embC), preventing formation of the cell wall components arabinogalactan and lipoarabinomannan, and preventing cell division. Decreased concentrations of arabinogalactan in the cell wall reduces the number of binding sites for mycolic acid, leading to the accumulation of mycolic acid, trehalose monomycolate, and trehalose dimycolate. Lipoarabinomannan is a component of a cell surface molecule involved in the interaction with host cells. Reduced levels of lipoarabinomannan may interfere with mycobacterial interaction with host cells. Ethambutol is bacteriostatic in action. Although the exact mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated, the drug appears to inhibit the synthesis of one or more metabolites in susceptible bacteria resulting in impairment of cellular metabolism, arrest of multiplication, and cell death. Ethambutol is active against susceptible bacteria only when they are undergoing cell division.

Source: PubChem (NCBI) · compound 14052