Hewitt W. Matthews

Pharmacologically active compounds from microbial origin.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the pharmacologically active compounds from microbial origin. As microorganisms provide such a wide variety of metabolic metabolites, it would seem reasonable to assume that microbial metabolites would be excellent sources of pharmacological compounds. Some of the aforementioned compounds reviewed were found to have pharmacological properties secondary to their antibiotic properties. Perhaps if greater emphasis were placed on seeking microbial products with pharmacological activities rather than antibiotic activities, a greater variety of compounds would be available for clinical use. The positive inotropic and chronotropic actions of a new antibiotic, adriamycin, isolated from cultures of Streptomyces peucetuis caesius, were reported. This drug is composed of a red-pigmented aglycon, adriamycinone, and a water-soluble aminosugar, daunosamine, connected by a glycoside linkage. The aglycon portion of the molecule is thought to be the active part, and contains an anthracycline nucleus. Both positive inotropic and chronotropic actions and the shortening of the action potential duration occurred with administration of this drug.

Unique collaboration between a private college of pharmacy and a private academic health system.

Advanced experiential education represents the culmination of a pharmacy students training, where students can apply the knowledge they have learned in the classroom to real patients. Unfortunately, opportunities for students to provide the direct patient care recommended by pharmacy organizations and accrediting bodies are lacking. Additionally, academic health systems that can provide these experiences for students are experiencing hardships that have stalled the expansion of postgraduate training programs and services. Formal cooperation between unaffiliated colleges of pharmacies and academic health systems has the potential to increase the number of experiential students completing rotations in an academic environment, expand postgraduate education training programs, enhance the development of resident educators, increase research and scholarly opportunities, and expand clinical pharmacy services. This article describes the formation of a unique joint initiative between a private academic health system without a college of pharmacy and a private college of pharmacy without a hospital. The successful cultivation of the relationship has resulted in professional growth at both institutions and can be implemented at other sites around the country to synergize the efforts of academic health systems and colleges of pharmacy.