clioquinol

Clioquinol is a broad-spectrum antibacterial with antifungal properties, bacteriostatic. It is used as an antifungal and antiprotozoal topical drug OTC product for treatment of human infections. Previousely was used for wide number of intestinal disorders including lambliasis, shigellosis, balantidiral dysentery and some forms of diarrheas. The physiologic effect of clioquinol is by increased histamine release and cell-mediated immunity. It is a member of a family hydroxyquinolines which inhibit certain enzymes related to DNA replication. It is a copper, iron and zink chelating agent. It is an organic molecule with a quinolinic acid as its apparent core which itself is a neurotransmitter. In large doses it possesses neurotoxicity and may induce neurological disease such as subacute myelo-optic neuropathy by creating copper deficiency that leads to zink excess. SMON (Sub-Acute-Myelo-Optical-Neuropathy) - a polio-like disease began as an epidemic in 1959 in Japan was believed to be a Clioquinol caused. Clioquinol is a standardized chemical allergen. It has been resurrected as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease since it perturbs metallo-chemistry of amyloid and clioquinol treatment has been shown to be beneficial in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. — NCATS