Drug Therapy Flashcards
What factors affect oral absorption bioavailability?
Formulation
The ability of drug to pass physiological barriers - particle size, lipid solubility, degree of ionisation
Gastrointestinal effects - gut mobility, food, illness
First-pass metabolism
Transport across membranes - passive diffusion (most important), protein-mediated transport, filtration, bulk flow
What is first pass metabolism?
A phenomenon of drug metabolism whereby the concentration of a drug, specifically when administered orally, is greatly reduced before it reaches the systemic circulation.
What is the most frequent transport mechanism of drugs?
Passive diffusion down a concentration gradient
How do lipid soluble drugs diffuse?
By dissolving in the lipoidal matrix of the membrane
Do drugs ionise in water?
Most drugs do not completely ionise in water
What does the degree of drug ionisation depend on?
As most drugs are weak acids or bases the degree of ionisation depends on the pH of the environment
In respect to ionisation, what does not cross the membrane?
Both ionised and un-ionised forms will be present.
The ionised drug does not cross the membrane
What should un-ionised drugs do at the membrane?
The un-ionised form should distribute across the membrane until the equilibrium is reaches - an equal concentration at each side
What does a drug have to be in order to cross a lipid layer?
In solution and lipid soluble
What key factors affect passive transport?
Molecular size
Lipid solubility
Polarity
Degree of ionisation
pH of environment
Where does filtration normally occur?
Through channels in the cell membrane
What is filtration the normal method for?
Water-soluble molecules with a molecular weight of <100
Where does bulk flow of liquid occur?
Through inter-cellular pores
What is active transport?
Energy-dependent transport across membranes against a concentration gradient
What do drugs must do to undergo active transport?
Resemble naturally occurring compounds
The drug is reversibly bound to a carrier system
What physiological barrier on the GI tract in necessary for drugs to pass from one side into the other to get into circulation?
Lipid membranes that contain receptors, ion channels and a variety of proteins.
What does the speed of gastric emptying affect?
The speed at which the drug reaches the site of absorption
Where are most drugs absorbed?
Small intestine
How does food impact rate of absorption?
Can enhance or impair rate of drug absorption
How can malabsorption impact rate of absorption?
Can increase or decrease rate of absorption
How do migranes impact the rate of absorption of analgesic drugs?
Reduces rate of stomach emptying and increase rate of absorption
What can knowledge of first pass metabolism assist in?
Deciding on doses and dose schedules
What routes can be taken to avoid first pass metabolism?
Subcutaneous and intra-muscular
Inhalation and nasal
Sublingual absorption - under tongue
Rectal
Transdermal - drug administered via patch or ointment
What route can be affected by first pass metabolism?
Oral
Discuss the stages of first pass metabolism
- Drug taken orally travels to lumen of GI tract
- Drug moves to hepatic portal system, consisting of capillary network and hepatic portal vein
- The hepatic portal vein takes the drug to the liver
- The liver metabolises the drug and then the drug moves into systemic circulation
- Remaining amount (often little) travels into systemic circulation
Little amount of drug absorbed
What is the main organ of the body that metabolises drugs?
The liver
What does the hepatic portal system consist of?
Capillary network surrounding stomach and small intestine
Hepatic portal vein
What does the hepatic portal vein do?
Receives blood from the body and transports it into the liver for filtration and processing
What is the heavy first pass effect?
Drug taken orally are so substantially removed by the liver that it results in very little of the drug reaching systemic circulation
What is bioavailability?
The fraction (or %) of a drug that reaches systemic circulation
What is the bioavailability of intravenous route?
100%
What is the bioavailability of oral route?
40%
What are the benefits of intravenous medication?
Eliminates the process of drug absorption and breakdown by directly depositing it into the blood.
This results in the immediate elevation of serum levels and high concentration in vital organs, such as the heart, brain, and kidneys.
What are the benefits of tropical medication?
- Low risk of systemic adverse events and drug interactions
- Higher concentration of the antibiotic when applied to the affected area
- Smaller amount of drug is used
- Lack of effect on intestinal florae
- Low cost
- Ease of administration to a young child
What are the benefits of inhaled medication?
Inhaled drugs are localized to the target organ, which generally allows fora lower dose than is necessary with systemic delivery(oral or injection), and thus fewer and less severe adverse effects.
What are the four basic factors of pharmacokinetics?
Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Elimination
What is pharmacokinetics?
Describes what a body does to a drug
What is Tmax?
Time to peak concentration
What is Cmax?
Peak concentration
What is AUC?
Area under the drug concentration-time curve
What are the phases of metabolism?
Phase one
Phase two
What processes take place in phase one metabolism?
Oxidation
Reduction
Hydrolysis
What does phase one metabolism provide for phase two metabolism?
Increases the polarity of the compound and provides an active site for phase two metabolism
Regarding phase one metabolism:
What are the most important superfamily of metabolising enzymes?
The cytochrome P-450 enzymes
Regarding phase one metabolism:
What is drug specificity determined by?
The isoform of the cytochrome p-450 - specificity is relative rather than absolute
Regarding phase one metabolism:
What enzyme in the liver contributes to the metabolism of a wide range or drugs?
CYP3A4 - also found in gut and is responsible for the pre-systemic metabolism of several drugs
Regarding phase one metabolism:
What are examples of drugs that CYP3A4 metabolises pre-systemically?
Diazepam, methadone, simvastatin, CCBs
Regarding phase one metabolism:
What is CYP2D6 responsible for?
The metabolism of some antidepressants, antipsychotics and the conversion of codeine to morphine
Regarding phase one metabolism:
What % of the population have reduced or absent expression and what does this mean?
5-10%
Which means they may be immune to the analgesic actions of codeine
Regarding phase one metabolism:
What is CYP1A2 induced by and what is it important in?
By smoking and is important in the metabolism of theophylline
Therefore smokers require a higher dose of theophylline than non-smokers
Regarding phase two metabolism:
What does phase two metabolism involve?
Conjugation which increases the water solubility and enhances exertion of the metabolised compound
Regarding phase two metabolism:
What does conjugation involve?
Conjugation involves the attachment of glucuronic acid, glutathione, sulphate or acetate to the metabolite generated by phase 1
Regarding phase two metabolism:
What does conjugation usually result in?
Inactivation however a small number of drug metabolites may be active
What are the patterns of drug metabolism?
Parent molecule - Phase 1 metabolsim
Phase 1 metabolite - Phase 2 metabolism
Parent molecule - Phase 2 metabolism
Phase 2 metabolite - Phase 1 metabolism
What is cytochrome P450 present in?
Most tissues of the body
What does cytochrome P450 play an important role in?
Hormone synthesis and breakdown(including oestrogen and testosterone synthesis and metabolism)
Cholesterol synthesis
Vitamin D metabolism
What does enzyme induction involve?
Increased enzyme synthesis and therefore increased activity
What are the most common enzyme inducers?
Alcohol and smoking