Paper II
2020 February (Supplementary) (2010 Scheme) · 40 marks · 120 min

Question

Name four anti-fungal agents

Q132 marksShort Notes

Answer

Four antifungal agents, representative of the major drug classes:

  1. Amphotericin B (polyene) — binds ergosterol in the fungal cell membrane, creating pores that cause leakage of cell contents; broad-spectrum, used for severe/systemic mycoses.
  2. Fluconazole (azole) — inhibits fungal cytochrome P450-dependent lanosterol 14-alpha-demethylase, blocking ergosterol synthesis; widely used for candidiasis and cryptococcal meningitis maintenance therapy.
  3. Caspofungin (echinocandin) — inhibits (1,3)-beta-D-glucan synthase, blocking fungal cell wall glucan synthesis; used for invasive candidiasis/aspergillosis.
  4. Terbinafine (allylamine) — inhibits squalene epoxidase, blocking ergosterol synthesis at an earlier step than azoles; commonly used for dermatophyte infections (tinea, onychomycosis).

(Other valid examples: griseofulvin — used for dermatophytoses; flucytosine — used in combination with amphotericin B for cryptococcal meningitis; itraconazole, voriconazole — other azoles.)

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