Tetracycline hydrochloride is a hydrochloride salt form of the antibiotic tetracycline. This polyketide antibiotic binds to both the 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits, thus inhibiting proper protein synthesis. Although it is capable of binding to both subunits, the binding at the 30S subunit is more pronounced than that at the 50S.Clinically, tetracycline is used as a broad spectrum antibiotic for a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial infections. Conditions which may indicate for tetracycline administration include upper respiratory infection, typhus fever and rikkettsialpox. It can also be administered to treat severe cases of acne.Tetracycline has played a prominent research role in studies of the efficacy of local antibiotic application in cases of dental trauma. Owing to the fluorescent properties of tetracycline and its ability to bind to bone tissue, this antibiotic is also regularly used in bone histomorphometry studies.
