A substance that closely resembles an essential metabolite and therefore interferes with physiological reactions involving it.
antimetabolic an'ti·met'a·bol'ic (-mĕt'ə-bŏl'ĭk) adj.
Dictionary:
an·ti·me·tab·o·lite (ăn'tē-mĭ-tăb'ə-līt', ăn'tī-) ![]() |
A substance that closely resembles an essential metabolite and therefore interferes with physiological reactions involving it.
antimetabolic an'ti·met'a·bol'ic (-mĕt'ə-bŏl'ĭk) adj.| 5min Related Video: antimetabolite |
| Food and Nutrition: antimetabolite |
Compound that inhibits a normal metabolic process, acting as an analogue of a normal metabolite. Some are useful in chemotherapy of cancer, others are naturally occurring toxins in foods, frequently causing vitamin deficiency diseases by inhibiting the normal metabolism of the vitamin. See also antivitamin.
| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: antimetabolite |
For more information on antimetabolite, visit Britannica.com.
| Veterinary Dictionary: antimetabolite |
A substance bearing a close structural resemblance to one required for normal physiological functioning, and exerting its effect by interfering with the utilization of the essential metabolite.
| Wikipedia: Antimetabolite |
An antimetabolite is a chemical that inhibits the use of a metabolite, which is another chemical that is part of normal metabolism.[1] Such substances are often similar in structure to the metabolite that they interfere with, such as the antifolates that interfere with the use of folic acid. The presence of antimetabolites can have toxic effects on cells, such as halting cell growth and cell division, so these compounds are used as chemotherapy for cancer.[2]
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Antimetabolites can be used in cancer treatment,[3] as they interfere with DNA production and therefore cell division and the growth of tumors. Because cancer cells spend more time dividing than other cells, inhibiting cell division harms tumor cells more than other cells.
Anti-metabolites masquerade as a purine (azathioprine, mercaptopurine) or a pyrimidine - which become the building blocks of DNA. They prevent these substances becoming incorporated in to DNA during the S phase (of the cell cycle), stopping normal development and division.[4]
They also affect RNA synthesis. However, because thymidine is used in DNA but not in RNA (where uracil is used instead), inhibition of thymidine synthesis via thymidylate synthase selectively inhibits DNA synthesis over RNA synthesis.
Due to their efficiency, these drugs are the most widely used cytostatics.
In the ATC system, they are classified under L01B.
Antimetabolites may also be antibiotics, such as sulfanilamide drugs, which inhibit dihydrofolate synthesis in bacteria by competing with para-aminobenzoic acid.[5]
Main representatives of these drugs are:
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| 5-fluorouracil | |
| dacarbazine | |
| folic acid analog |
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![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Food and Nutrition. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Antimetabolite". Read more |
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