Amphotericin B is used to treat various systemic fungal infections. Examples include patients who are critically ill, comorbidly infected, or immunocompromised, who may have cryptococcus.
Amphotericin B is used to treat fungal meningitis, such as cryptococcal meningitis.
Amphotericin B can also be used intravenously to treat otherwise-untreatable parasitic protozoan infections, with examples such as visceral leishmaniasis and amoebic meningoencephalitis from Naegleria Fowleri.
This medication works as a polyene, meaning that it binds to ergosterol and forms membrane pores.
Amphotericin B binds to ergosterol, which is a component of fungal cell membranes.
After binding to ergosterol, Amphotericin B forms membrane pores, which allows leakage of electrolytes, ultimately killing the fungal cell.
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