This invention provides methods for treating a mycobacterial infection by administering to an animal a pharmaceutical composition containing a compound having the formula R—SO
n
-Z-CO—Y, where R is an alkyl group having 6-20 carbons; Z is a radical selected from —CH
2
—, —O—, and —NH—, two of these radicals coupled together, or —CH
2
═CH
2
—; Y is —NH
2
, O—CH
2
—C
6
H
5
, —CO—CO—O—CH
3
, or O—CH
3
; and n is 1 or 2. It has been discovered that these compounds inhibit growth of microbial cells which synthesize &agr;-substitued. &bgr;-hydroxy fatty acids, particularly corynemycolic acid, nocardic acid, and mycolic acid. These compounds may be used to inhibit growth of mycobacterial cells, such as
Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
drug-resistant
M. tuberculosis, M. avium intracellulare,
and
M. leprae.
本发明提供了一种通过向动物施用含有化合物R-SOn-Z-CO-Y的药物组合物来治疗分枝杆菌感染的方法,其中R是具有6-20个碳的烷基基团;Z是从-
CH2-,-O-和-NH-中选择的基团,其中两个这些基团耦合在一起,或- ═ -;Y是-NH2,O- -
C6H5,-CO-CO-O-
CH3或O- ;n为1或2。已经发现这些化合物抑制合成α-取代的β-羟基
脂肪酸,特别是角质分枝杆菌酸,诺卡氏酸和酰胺分枝杆菌酸的微
生物细胞的生长。这些化合物可用于抑制分枝杆菌细胞的生长,例如结核分枝杆菌,耐药性结核分枝杆菌,肺巨细胞分枝杆菌和麻风分枝杆菌。