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Question 1

What are the symptoms of a pheochromocytoma? What medications are used to treat a pheochromocytoma before surgery?

Answer 1

symptoms: hypertension, palpitations, sweating, tremor, hyperglycemia, throbbing headache
medications: phenoxybenzamine

Question 2

What affect do the class 1 antiarrhythmics have on the duration of the action potential?

Answer 2

1a - increase duration of AP
1b - decrease duration of AP
1c - no change

Question 3

To what states do all class 1 anti arrhythmic drugs bind? Why is this important for the treatment of arrhythmias?

Answer 3

All class 1 antiarrhythmics bind to the open and inactivated states of Na+ channels but not the closed state. Thus, the more depolarized the cell, the greater effect (suppression of arrhythmia) on it the drug will have. Ischemic cells and frequently depolarized cells are more depolarized than normal cells.

Question 4

Which anti arrhythmic drugs can lead to Torsades de Pointes?

Answer 4

quinidine and sotalol (a class III antiarrhythmic)

Question 5

Which lipid lowering drug causes the greatest decrease in triglyceride levels?

Answer 5

fibrates (gemfibrozil, fenofibrate)

Question 6

What is the mechanism of action of fibrates?

Answer 6

They lower triglycerides by upregulating lipoprotein lipase on vascular endothelial cells which increases triglyceride catabolism in VLDLs

Question 7

Which lipid lowering drug causes the greatest increase in HDL levels?

Answer 7

niacin

Question 8

What beta blocker is used to treat atrial flutter and other supra ventricular tachycardias?

Answer 8

esmolol because it is a cardioselective beta blocker and is ultra-short acting (half life of 9 minutes)

Question 9

What antihypertensive drug can be used to treat both hypertension and slow the damaging effects of diabetes on the renal and cardiovascular systems?

Answer 9

ACE inhibitors