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Microbiology: Kanamycin is a water-soluble, basic antibiotic discovered from the culture broth of a new species of Actinomyces, Streptomyces kanamyceticus.
Kanamycin is active against both in vitro and in vivo gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as acid-fast bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). It strongly inhibits the growth of these bacteria and exerts a powerful protective effect against infections due to them. Kanamycin has been proven, under the experiments with mice, rats, dogs, cats, goldfishes and monkeys, to be a substance of less acute and chronic toxicity.
Kanamycin shows no cross-resistance with other antibiotics commonly used. Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli and Shigella which have developed resistance to other antibiotics are sensitive to kanamycin. Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to one or more of streptomycin, PAS and INH also responds to kanamycin.
It often exerts a favourable effect on infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris, so far considered to be intractable.
Toxicology: There appeared no toxic signs in monkeys that received continuous administration of 200 mg (potency)/kg daily for 50 days.
