Antimetabolites, Hydroxyurea, Elspar, HDACs Flashcards
T/F: Reduce the dose of hydroxyurea with renal disease?
True
T/F: Hydroxyurea does not cross the BBB?
False
Which chemotherapy does the following?
- inhibits ribonucleotide reductase
- inhibits conversion of ribonucleotides to dNTPs which are needed for DNA synthesis and repair
hydroxyurea
What cell cycle phase is hydroxyurea specific for?
S phase
What is the mechanism of resistance for hydroxyurea?
elevation of ribonucleotide reductase activity
Hydroxyurea enhances cytotoxicity of which other chemo drugs?
purine and pyrimidine analogs
5-FU- decreases dUMP pools
What is the MOA of L-aspariginase?
tumor cells lack asparagine synthetase and cannot synthesize asparagine which leads to decreased protein synthesis and apoptosis
Why do normal cells not die from L-aspariginase?
asparagine is not an essential AA and normal cells contain asparagine synthetase and can synthesize asparagine
What cell cycle dose Elspar have maximal effect?
G1
What is the MOR to Elspar?
- Upregulation of asparagine synthetase in tumor cells
- Neutralizing antibodies
- Defective induction of apoptosis
T/F: Elspar penetrates the BBB?
False, but it does deplete asparagine in the CSF
What drugs does Elspar have an interaction with and why?
- methotrexate- decreased toxicity due to inhibition of protein synthesis and prevention of entry into S-phase
- vincristine- increased toxicity due to decreased hepatic clearance
Which chemotherapeutics are drugs that interfere with normal cellular functions, particularly DNA synthesis?
antimetabolites
What phase of the cell cycle do antimetabolites work best in?
S phase
T/F: Antimetabolites efficacy depends on peak drug levels? Why is this?
False- depends on duration above a critical threshold
This means they may be more effective as an infusion with longer duration of exposure, more cells allowed to enter S phase
T/F: Antimetabolites do not directly interact with DNA.
True- due to this, they are not carcinogenic
What are the drugs that make up the antimetabolites?
Antifolates or folic acid analogs
methotrexate
What are the drugs that make up the antimetabolites? pyrimidine analogs (T, C, U)
5-FU
Capecitabine
Cystosar
Gemcitabine
What is the mechanism of action of methotrexate?
competitive inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)
prevents formation of reduced folates (active form)
What are reduced folates and how are they reduced?
Why are reduced folates important in DNA synthesis?
Folic acid compounds are active as coenzymes only in a reduced form- they are converted from dihydrofolic acid (FH2) to tetrahydrofolic acid (FH4) using NADPH as an electron donor by DHFR
- transferring of methyl group to form purines
- converting dUMP to dTMP (catalyzed by thymidylate synthase)
What occurs to reduced folates when they cannot convert to their active form after methrotrexate inhibits dihydrofolate reductase?
- reduced folate is oxidized in this reaction
- need DHFR for reduction to its active form
- increased dUMPs leads to incorporation of U instead of T into DNA and DNA breaks
Methotrexate is metabolized via what mechanism?
polyglutamation
Optimal binding of methotrexate to DHFR depends on the presence or occurrence of what two things?
presence of NADPH and polyglutamated forms of methotrexate
What enzyme mediates the polyglutamation of methotrexate?
folypolyglutamyl synthetase (FPGS)
What is the primary transport mechanism for methotrexate into the cells?
reduced folate carrier system
Which transport system allows trasport of folates, including methotrexate into the CNS?
pH sensitive transport
What occurs with the depletion of dTMPs and purines by polyglutamated forms of methotrexate?
leads to decreased DNA synthesis–> DNA strand breaks–> S/G2 arrest –> apoptosis
What are the MOR for methotrexate?
- mutations in RFC or DHFR (methotrexate can’t bind to either)
- increased MRP-1 (2,3) and BCRP
- defects in polyglutamation
- increased DHFR concentrations
Does methotrexate cross the BBB?
yes, but only at very high doses
What drug is known to block methotrexate toxicity? Why?
L-asparaginase: decreases protein synthesis and prevention of cell entry into S-phase
Which drugs enhance methotrexate toxicity?
NSAIDs
Methotrexate inhibits purine synthesis and increases nucleotide formation, which increases activation if given before which two drugs?
5-FU
cytosar
Which is more important for methotrexate, drug concentration or duration of cell exposure?
duration of cell exposure
The presence of what two things would reduce the toxicity of methotrexate?
- presence of purine bases/nucleosides and thymidine
2. increased concentration of reduced folates
What is a drug the rescues patients from methotrexate induced cytotoxicity?
leucovorin (folinic acid)
What is thymidylate synthase?
converts dUMP to dTMP, which is then phosphorylated to thymidine triphosphate for DNA repair and synthesis