What is the mechanism of acetohydroxamic acid in preventing Proteus mirabilis reinfection?

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Multiple Choice

What is the mechanism of acetohydroxamic acid in preventing Proteus mirabilis reinfection?

Acetohydroxamic acid works by inhibiting urease, the enzyme produced by Proteus mirabilis that splits urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide. Infections with urease-producing bacteria raise urinary pH, promoting the formation of struvite stones that trap bacteria and sustain reinfection. By blocking urease activity, the drug keeps urine from becoming highly alkaline, reducing stone formation and the bacterial niche that Proteus uses to persist. Its ability to penetrate the bacterial cell wall helps it reach urease inside the cell and inhibit it effectively. The other mechanisms listed—DNA replication inhibition, beta-lactamase inhibition, or protein synthesis inhibition—do not describe how this drug works.

Acetohydroxamic acid works by inhibiting urease, the enzyme produced by Proteus mirabilis that splits urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide. Infections with urease-producing bacteria raise urinary pH, promoting the formation of struvite stones that trap bacteria and sustain reinfection. By blocking urease activity, the drug keeps urine from becoming highly alkaline, reducing stone formation and the bacterial niche that Proteus uses to persist. Its ability to penetrate the bacterial cell wall helps it reach urease inside the cell and inhibit it effectively. The other mechanisms listed—DNA replication inhibition, beta-lactamase inhibition, or protein synthesis inhibition—do not describe how this drug works.

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