Effect of Large Doses of Aureomycin on Human Liver

A death from tetracycline

“…Fluorescent studies showed tetracycline to be present in the vacuoles and enzyme studies indicated liver cell damage. Lepper (1951) showed that seven patients who had been given chlortetracycline in large doses by mouth and intravenously (a total of 20 g by each route) sustained liver damage. All had enlarged livers and jaundice, and five died.…”

Clinical and Laboratory Manifestations of Hepatotoxicity

“…Previous deductions, that drug-hypersensi- tivity 82 or diversion of labile methyl groups 78 might be responsible, do not seem to fit the available data. Reinhold, 93 Drill, 10 and others 9 have sug gested that the jaundice produced by the alkylated anabolic agents may represent selective interference with transfer of bilirubin or other sub stances across the canalicular surface. The dose dependence of the phenomenon and the structural specificity of the agents involved suggest the likelihood that they act as competitive inhibitors (FIGURE 12).…”

Daily Growth in Length of Diaphysis Measured by Oxytetracycline in Rabbit Normally

“…The various tetracyclines have been the subject of thorough investigations regarding their chemical and physical as well as pharmacological properties (Regna et al 1951, Stephens et al 1952, Boothe et al 1953, Cunningham et al 1953, Conover et al 1953, Dowling 1955, Regna 1955, Lepper 1956, Musselman 1956, Kunin et al 1959, Kunin and Finland 1961, Spitzy 1962.…”