Immunosuppressants

Question 1

What are the 2 core drugs we need to know for this category of medication?

1 - Allopurinol and Cyclosporine
2 - Colchicine and Cyclosporine
3 - Azathioprine and Allopurinol
4 - Azathioprine and Cyclosporine

Answer 1

4 - Azathioprine and Cyclosporine

- remember Cyclosporine sounds like cycle sports

Question 2

Azathioprine a core drugs we need to know for this category of medication. What is the mechanism of action for this group of drugs?

1 - inhibits purine synthesis needed for DNA/RNA, so less leukocytes are produced
2 - inhibits purine synthesis needed for DNA/RNA, so less functional bone marrow
3 - inhibits purine synthesis needed for DNA/RNA, so less protein signalling
4 - inhibits purine synthesis needed for DNA/RNA, so less RBS are produced

Answer 2

1 - inhibits purine synthesis needed for DNA/RNA, so less leukocytes are produced

• purines are needed in cells that proliferate and need DNA/RNA like WBC
• less purines mean less WBCs
• less WBC means less of an immune response

Question 3

Cyclosporine is a core drugs we need to know for this category of medication. What is the mechanism of action for this group of drugs?

1 - inhibits calcineurin and in doing so B cell production
2 - inhibits calcineurin and in doing so T cell production
3 - inhibits calcineurin and in doing so cytokine expression and synthesis
4 - inhibits calcineurin and in doing so neutrophils

Answer 3

3 - inhibits calcineurin and in doing so cytokine expression and synthesis
- reducing cytokines specifically IL-2 means no T cell activation so no immune response