1. General Principles Flashcards
Where does most drug absorption occur and why?
Small intestine (lots of surface area and pH = 7 which allows weak acid/base drugs to exist as uncharged)
What does paraenteral mean?
“Without intestines”
SubQ, IV, intramuscular
What determines if a drug will cross a biomembrane?
It’s charge (uncharged/un-ionized drugs will cross while ionized drugs will not)
Draw out weak acid dissocation equation
Draw out weak basic dissocation equation
Explain hepatic encephalopathy
It is a condition resulting in a loss of brain function due to the liver’s inability to remove toxins from the blood.
Normally, NH3 in teh gut is taken to the liver by the portal vein and is detoxified by the urea cycle. In pathologies such as liver cirrhosis (can’t detox) or shunting issues (can’t get toxin to the liver) you get NH3 accumulation. This results in confusion, coma, and death
Treatment is lactuloase which causes NH3 to become NH4
What limits the ability of a drug to be filtered by the kidneys?
Being bound (only unbound drugs can be filtered by the kidneys)
In what state must a drug be in order to undergo secretion and reabsorption in the kidney?
Drugs have to be non-ionized in order to be able to undergo secretion and reabsorption
*If a drug is charged (ionized) it will be directly excreted and will not undergo secretion or reabsorption
What effect does acidification of urine have on weak basic drugs?
Increase renal elimation (B under acidic conditions becomes BH+ which is ionized and thus cannot be secreted or reabsorbed
What effect does alkalinization of urine have on weak acid drugs?
Increase renal elimination (AH in basic conditions becomes A- which is ionized and thus does not undergo secretion or reabsorption)
What effect does vitamin C and cranberry juice have on urine?
It acidifies it (thus it will increase the renal elimination of weak basid drugs)
Does low pH add or remove a H to drugs?
Add H
Does high pH add or remove a H to drugs?
Remove H
What is the hasselbalch equation?
What is the first pass effect?
When a drug is ingested, it goes from the mouth, to the stomach, and then to the liver (via the hepatic portal vein) where it gets partially metabolized. The remaining drug goes to the heart (via the hepatic portal vein) where it is then pumped systemically.
*Applies to oral drugs
What plasma protein binds acidic drugs?
Albumin
If a patient has liver damage, how should you adjust his drug dose?
Lower it (there is likely less albumin to detox weak acid drugs)
Why should pregnant women not take weak basic drugs when pregnant?
Placental plasma is acidic and thus basic drugs (B) can cross the placena and become hydroganted (BH+) and thus get stuck in the placental plasma.
This is refered to as basic trapping
How do you calculate the Volume of distribution of a drug?
Vd = Volume of distribution
C0 = Total plasma [] (bound and unbound)
D = Dose (i.e. amount of drug)
F=Bioavailability
*This equation should only be used for IV. For drugs whose bioavailability is less than F, the equation should read
(D)(F) = Vd x C0
What does a low volume of distribution indicate of a drug?
That it is mostly bound by plasma proteins or it is being sequested in select areas
Explain the role of p-gp?
What enzymes make up phase I drug metabolizers?
How do these drugs work?
CYP450s
Flavin containing monooxygenases
Dehydrogensae, hydrolyase, esterase, amidase
Phase I work by adding a polar group to the drugs
What enzymes make up phase II drug metabolizers?
How do these drugs work?
Glucoronidation (addition of glucuronic acid via UGT)
Acetylation via NAT
Sulfation via SULT
Glutathione (GSH) (addition of glutathione via GST)
Phase II work by conjugating the drugs
What is the formula for rate of elimination?
Rate of elimiation = GFR + active secretion - reabsorption
What is clearance?
Clearance is the voume of blood that is cleared of a drug per unit of time
What is the clearance for protein-bound drugs?
There is none. Drugs must be unbound in order to be renally eliminated
What is the equation for clearance?
Cl = Free Fraction of drug x GFR
How many half-lives to reach steady state?
4 to 5
What molecule is used to estimate GFR?
Insulin
Insulin is not sereted or reabsorbed thus Rate of elimiation = GFR + active secretion (0 for insulun) - reabsorption (0 for insulin)
What is the equation for t1/2
t1/2 = (0.7) (Vd / Cl)