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Destruction of Isoniazid in the Presence of Hæmin

Abstract

IT has been shown that hæmin strongly antagonizes the antibacterial action of isoniazid (isonicotinoyl-hydrazine) on strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis sensitive to this drug1. These observations have been confirmed and extended2. Isoniazid is destroyed in uninoculated media when hæmin is present (see ref. 3, also personal communication from G. P. Youmans). The work to be described was undertaken to find whether the destructive reaction was catalytic or not, to identify the products, and to consider some biological implications.

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KNOX, R., ALBERT, A. & REES, C. Destruction of Isoniazid in the Presence of Hæmin. Nature 175, 1085–1086 (1955). https://doi.org/10.1038/1751085b0

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