Antimicrobial Pharmacology Flashcards
Microorganisms (+ examples)
Organisms of microscopic sizes, consisting of single or clustered cells
Eg. Virus, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, algae
Viruses
Microscopic, acellular, metabolically inert, intracellular organisms
COVID-19 Virus characteristics
- Single-stranded RNA virus with the largest genome among RNA viruses
- Has genomic proofreading mechanism to weed out mutations = resistant to antivirals
COVID-19 replication process
- Spike protein binds to ACE2 receptor, virus endocytosed
- Uncoating: RNA/genetic material enters
- Translation: mRNAs bind to ribosomes
- Genome replication
- Assembly of structural proteins to make new virus = excocytosed
Sotrovimab
Antiviral designed to attach to the spike protein of COVID-19
Prevents viral cell entry
Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid)
Antiviral that inhibits the metabolism of Nirmatrelvir = prevent protein assembly
Ribavirin
Inhibits viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP)
Remdesivir
RdRP inhibitor
Remdesivir mechanism
Resembles ATP molecules and competes with nucleotides during viral RNA synthesis
Types of Vaccines
- Viral vector (doesn’t integrate virus DNA into host cell)
- mRNA
Bacteria
Microscopic, single-celled, prokaryotic, reproduce via fission/spores
Shapes of bacteria (3)
- Cocci (spherical)
- Bacilli (rod-shaped)
- Spiral
Gram positive bacteria (+example)
Thick cell wall
Eg. Staphylococcus
Gram negative bacteria (+example)
Thin cell wall, often pathogenic
Eg. E. coli
Anaerobe (+example)
Can survive without O2
Eg. Clostridium