Antivirals Flashcards
Drug used in the treatment of Herpes Simplex Virus and Varicella Zoster Virus
Acyclovir
Mechanism of action for Acyclovir
It inhibits DNA synthesis in two ways. It competitively inhibits deoxyGTP which cause DNA template strand to bind to an inactive complex. It can also incorporate itself in the DNA strand and cause chain termination.
Toxicity of Acyclovir
Nausea, vomiting, and headache
Mechanism of resistance to Acyclovir
Alteration of thymidine kinase or DNA polymerase
Which drugs don’t require activation by thymidine kinase?
Cidofovir, foscarnet, and trifluridine
What is the only anti-HSV IV drug available?
Acyclovir
What is required to activate Acyclovir?
Three phosphorylation steps: first converted to monophosphate derivative and then to di- and tri- derivatives by host’s cellular enzymes
What 3 drugs are used to treat Cytomegalovirus?
Ganciclovir, Cidofovir, and Foscarnet
Mechanism of action of Ganciclovir
Competitively inhibits DNA polymerase and causes termination of the growing DNA strand
Mechanism of action of Cidofovir
Acts as a potent inhibitor and alternative substrate for viral DNA polymerase
Mechanism of action of Foscarnet
Inhibits viral DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase, and HIV reverse transcriptase without activation by phosphorylation. It blocks the pyrophosphate binding site of these enzymes and inhibits cleavage of pyrophosphate from deoxynucleotide triphosphates
Mechanism of resistance to Ganciclovir
Mutations in UL97 which activates the drug and UL54 which results in mutant DNA polymerase
Toxicity to Ganciclovir
Myelosuppression and Retinal detachment (in patients with CMV retinitis)
How many times greater is the activity of Ganciclovir against CMV compared to Acyclovir?
100 times greater
Toxicity to Cidofovir
Dose-dependent nephrotoxicity and decreased intraocular pressure
What type of analog is cidofovir?
Cytosine analog
What activates Cidofovir?
Human cell kinases
Toxicity of foscarnet
Nephrotoxicity, anemia, and CNS toxicity (headache, hallucinations, and seizures)
What type of analog is foscarnet?
It is an inorganic pyrophosphate analog
What viruses does foscarnet act against in-vivo?
HSV, VZV, CMV, and HIV-1
What two drugs are Nucleoside/Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors?
Zidovudine and Tenofovir
What drug is a Non-Nucleoside/Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor?
Nevirapine
Mechanism of action of Zidovudine and Tenofovir?
Binds to the DNA polymerase catalytic site on the reverse transcriptase enzyme which competitively inhibits DNA polymerase activity, and can be incorporated into the viral DNA chain causing termination
Mechanism of resistance to Zidovudine and Tenofovir?
viral mutations and there is cross-resistance between NRTIs
Toxicity to Zidovudine and Tenofovir
Lactic acidemia and hepatomegaly
What is important about NRTIs in pregnancy?
Zidovudine is used to prevent vertical transmission from mother to child. If the mother is already in labor, Zidovudine can still be used.
What activates NRTIs?
human cell kinases in the cytoplasm