Terconazole is an triazole anti-fungal drug that is mainly used to treat vaginal yeast infections (vaginal candidiasis). The drug comes in a cream or suppository form with high levels of safety, efficacy, and tolerability for both. Terconazole is applied topically to the vagina where it is absorbed into the infected cells, and then diffuses into the candida cell. Terconazole inhibits lanosterol 14-alpha demethylase in the endoplasmic reticulum of fungal cells. Lanosterol 14-alpha demethylase is the enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of 4,4'-dimethyl cholesta-8,14,24-triene-3-beta-ol from lanosterol. With this enzyme inhibited ergosterol synthesis cannot occur which causes a significant low concentration of ergosterol in the fungal cell. Ergosterol is essential in maintaining membrane integrity in fungi. Without ergosterol, the fungus cell cannot synthesize membranes thereby increasing fluidity and preventing growth of new cells. This leads to cell lysis which causes it to collapse and die.

Terconazole Pathway References