Influence of cephalosporins on intestinal enzymatic activity.

Abstract

The effect of the broad spectrum antibiotics cefaclor, cefadroxil, cephradine, cefatrizine, cephaloglycine and cefroxadine was examined on rat intestinal brush border enzymes, aminopeptidase N (E.C. 3.4.11-2), dipeptidyl peptidase IV (E.C. 3.4.14.5) and alkaline phosphatase (E.C. 1.3.1.3.). All the cephalosporins assayed -except cefaclor- inhibit the aminopeptidase N activity, in an uncompetitive manner. Cefatrizine showed the most important inhibitory effect (52.5%; p < 0.001). Cefaclor and cefadroxil have no effect on the activity of the dipeptidyl peptidase IV, while cephaloglycine and cephradine showed a non competitive type inhibition. In contrast, cefatrizine and cefroxadine showed a competitive inhibition for this enzyme. None of the cephalosporins assayed had any effect on alkaline phosphatase activity.