Coly-Mycin has a recommended dose of 2.5 to 5 mg/kg colistin base a day, which is equivalent to 6 to 12 mg/kg colistimethate sodium per day. For a 60 kg man, therefore, the recommended dose for Colomycin is 240 to 480 mg of colistimethate sodium, yet the recommended dose for Coly-Mycin is 360 to 720 mg of colistimethate sodium. Likewise, the recommended "maximum" dose for each preparation is different (480 mg for Colomycin and 720 mg for Coly-Mycin). Each country has different generic preparations of colistin, and the recommended dose depends on the manufacturer. This complete absence of any regulation or standardisation of dose makes intravenous colistin dosing difficult for the physician.Colistin has been used in combination with rifampicin; evidence of in vitro synergy exists, and the combination has been used successfully in patients. There is also in vitro evidence of synergy for colistimethate sodium used in combination with other antipseudomonal antibiotics.Colistimethate sodium aerosol (Promixin; Colomycin Injection) is used to treat pulmonary infections, especially in cystic fibrosis. In the UK, the recommended adult dose is 1–2 million units (80–160 mg) nebulised colistimethate twice daily. Nebulized colistin has also been used to decrease severe exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Resistance
Resistance to colistin is rare, but has been described. As of 2017, no agreement exists about how to define colistin resistance.
As multi-drug resistant bacteria became more prevalent in the 1990s, colistin started to get a second look as an emergency solution, in spite of toxicity.Colistin has also been used in agriculture, particularly in China from the 1980s onwards. Chinese production for agriculture exceeded 2700 tons in 2015. China banned colistin use for livestock growth promotion in 2016. Biosynthesis
The biosynthesis of colistin requires the use of three amino acids: threonine, leucine, and 2,4-diaminobutryic acid. The linear form of colistin is synthesized before cycliziation. Non-ribosomal peptide biosynthesis begins with a loading module and then the addition of each subsequent amino acid. The subsequent amino acids are added with the help of an adenylation domain (A), a peptidyl carrier protein domain (PCP), an epimerization domain (E), and a condensation domain (C). Cyclization is accomplished by a thioesterase. The first step is to have a loading domain, 6-methylheptanoic acid, associate with the A and PCP domains. Now with a C, A, and PCP domain that is associated with 2,4-diaminobutryic acid. This continues with each amino acid until the linear peptide chain is completed. The last module will have a thioesterase to complete the cyclization and form the product colistin. References
Further reading
Reardon S (December 2015). "Spread of antibiotic-resistance gene does not spell bacterial apocalypse — yet". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2015.19037. External links
"Colistimethate sodium". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Colistin sulfate". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Colistin topics page (bibliography)". Science.gov.