Paper II
2022 May (Supplementary) (2010 Scheme)

Question

Cilastatin with Imipenem

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Answer

Imipenem is extensively metabolized and inactivated by the renal brush-border enzyme dehydropeptidase-I, which would otherwise destroy most of the dose before it could act, and generates a nephrotoxic metabolite. Cilastatin is a specific dehydropeptidase-I inhibitor with no antibacterial activity of its own — co-administering it blocks this renal breakdown, raising the effective urinary and plasma concentration of active imipenem and preventing the nephrotoxic metabolite from forming, making the combination both effective and safe for clinical use.

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