QS Plus

QS Plus Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Food Interaction and all others data.

QS Plus is a synthetic quaternary ammonium salt with surfactant, antiseptic, and broad spectrum antimicrobial properties. Its salt form, benzethonium chloride, is primarily used as a skin disinfectant at concentrations of 0.1-0.2 %, which are safe and effective concentrations for the compound specified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is additionally found in cosmetics and toiletries such as mouthwashes and anti-itch ointments. It is shown to be effective in mediating its antimicrobial action against bacteria, fungi, mold and viruses. There is evidence that benzethonium acts as a spermatocide but may cause vaginal irritation . QS Plus was identified as a novel cancer-specific compound by cell-based small-molecule screen .

QS Plus belongs to the family of compounds known as cationic detergents that act by disrupting lipid bilayers. It demonstrated antitumor activity against cancer cell lines in vitro. The effective dose required to decrease cell viability by 50% after 48 hours (ED50) of benzethonium for FaDu (hypopharyngeal squamous cancer) and C666-1 (nasopharyngeal cancer) cell lines were approximately 3.8 and 5.3 μmol/L, respectively .

QS Plus
Uses
Dosage
Side Effect
Precautions
Interactions
Uses during Pregnancy
Uses during Breastfeeding
Accute Overdose
Food Interaction
Half Life
Volume of Distribution
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Interaction With other Medicine
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Trade Name	QS Plus
Availability	Over the counter
Generic	Benzethonium
Related Drugs	Caladryl Clear, Vexa-D
Type	Topical liquid
Formula	C₂₇H₄₂NO₂
Weight	Average: 412.637 Monoisotopic: 412.321006017
Protein binding	Pharmacokinetic studies on benzethonium have not been conducted.
Groups	Approved
Therapeutic Class
Manufacturer
Available Country	United States
Last Updated:	September 19, 2023 at 7:00 am

Uses

QS Plus is a medication used as to clean hands and clean minor cuts and scrapes.

Indicated as an antiseptic agent. No therapeutic indications for clinical use.

QS Plus is also used to associated treatment for these conditions: Inflammation of Mouth, Oral Infection, Streptococcal Sore Throat, Tonsillitis, Throat infections, Tongue inflammation, Ulceration of the mouth, Skin disinfection

How QS Plus works

While exact mechanism of benzethonium is not fully understood, it is proposed that benzethonium acts similarly to other structurally-related quaternary ammonium compounds in disrupting cytoplasmic and outer membrane lipid bilayers of microorganisms . The positively charged quaternary nitrogen associates with the polar head groups of acidic membrane phospholipids, followed by the hydrophobic tail interacting with the hydrophobic membrane core. QS Plus is thought to form mixed-micelle aggregates with hydrophobic membrane components that solubilize membrane and lyse the cells, leading to leakage of cytoplasmic contents . Based on findings in vitro cell assays, its mode of action on cancer cells may involve cancer cell apoptosis via dysregulating mitochondria or rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) . It is proposed that intracellular cationic molecules such as benzethonium will create swelling of the rER and damage the organelle. Ultimately, there is a loss in cell membrane integrity and cytosolic Ca2+ levels increase. Dysregulation of mitochondria and rER leads to the activation of caspase-2, caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3 .

Toxicity

Acute oral LD50 is 295 mg/kg in rat . QS Plus was not shown to be mutagenic in the AMES Test . In a rat dermal study, there was no evidence of carcinogenic or genotoxic potential .

QS Plus is toxic when orally ingested with 1 g reported to be fatal. The risk of toxicity is related to concentration with cationic detergents. Ingestion may lead to diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, collapse, convulsions, coma . Oral exposure to high concentrations of benzethonium may lead to burns of the mouth, pharynx, and esophagus. To a rarer extent, hemorrhagic gastrointestinal (GI) tract necrosis and peritonitis, bronchospasm, aspiration pneumonitis, hypoxemia, and acute lung injury may develop. CNS depression progressing to coma and shock have been observed with severe ingestion or corrosive GI injury with parenteral administration of cationic detergents .