MIDTERM Flashcards
Pharmacokinetics
How does a drug get to its target?
“How do we get the drug out of the body too”
Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Elimination
ADME = Bioavailability
Pharmacodynamics
When a drug binds to its target, what is the effect?
“Once it’s binded, how does it affect the body?”
What is the time course of drug action in the body?
4 Key processes:
Absorption
- Getting the drug into the body
Distribution
- Where does the drug go once it’s in the body?
Metabolism
- How is the drug broken down
Elimination
- How do we get rid of it?
ADME = acyroym for bioavailability
Absorption (list the different ways it gets into the bloodstream)
How does a drug get into the bloodstream?
Enternal (through the GI tract)
Oral
Rectal
Parenteral (non GI)
Injection
Inhalation
Topical (skin)
Mucousal/Sublingual
Enteral Administration - ORAL
Requirements:
Water soluble -> liquids absorbed faster than solids
Stable, resistant to stomach acids/enzymes and liver enzymes
“First-pass metabolism” in liver (meaning we lose some of the effects due to metabolism)
Hepatic portal vein
Sometime a prodrug is administered, and then is metabolized by enzymes into the desired drug (ex: lisdexamfetamine/Vyvanse)
Acidic drugs absorbed in stomach: basic drugs absorbed in small intestin
Lipid soluble (at least partially)
Pass through GI lining
Oral Administration
Advantages: easy, non-invasive
Disadvantages: stomach upset/nausea, actual concentration in blood stream less accurate compared to parenteral, many drugs cannot withstand the GI tract
- Newer “enteric coatings” help with this
Enteral Administration - RECTAL
Advantages:
Faster absorption/onset/peal
Shorter duration
Higher % of drug gets into circulation
Distal ⅓ of rectum highly vascularized; blood does not pass through liver
Good for pxts with GI tract issues, or who have trouble swallowing
Disadvantages:
Painful, unpleasant, messy
Methods:
Suppository, enema (micro/macro), catheter
Parenteral Administration - Injection
Types: Intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), intraperitoneal (IP), subcutaneous (SC), intrathecal (IT), intradermal (ID)
Advantages
More accurate dosing, can have faster absorption than enteral routes
Disadvantages
Easy to overdose, especially with IV, requires sterile techniques so as not to introduce harmful agents into the bloodstream, unable to remove drug once injected (e.g. vomiting won’t help)
Parenteral Administration - Injection - INTRAVENOUS ADMINIATRATION
Drug administered directly into bloodstream
Advantages:
Very rapid, large volumes, extremely accurate dosing
Disadvantages:
Very rapid, risk of infections, not suitable for drugs that are not completely solubilized
Parenteral Administration - Injection - INTRAMUSCULAR ADMINISTRATION
Drug injected into muscle
Advantages:
Can vary the rate of absorption/action depending on diluent
Drugs disscoled in water are absorbed rapidly, and have a short duration of action
Drugs disscoled in oil are absorbed more slowly, and have a longer duration of action
Disadvantages:
Cannot inject large volumes, may irate muscle tissue
Parenteral Administration - Injection - SUBCUTANEOUS ADMINISTRATION
Drug injected under the skin into the subcutaneous fat layer
Advantages: fairly rapid
Disadvantages: large volumes not recommended, skin irritation
Inhalation - Administration of Drugs
Drug inhaled into lungs
Advantages: extremely rapid (can be even faster than IV), rapid accumulation in brain
Disadvantages: extremely rapid, lung irritation, possible lung disease with repeated administration
If you have taken too much, there’s nothing you can do about it.
Mucosal - Administration of Drugs
Drug placed on mucosal membranes (gums, under tongue, nasal, vaginal)
Insufflation, sublingual
Advantages: fairly rapid
Disadvantages: may irritate mucous membranes
SUBLINGUAL/BUCCAL ADMINISTRATION
Sublingual = under the tongue. Buccal = side of the mouth, like on the cheek
Advantages: non-invasive, relatively easy, does not go through GI system (more drug gets into system)
Disadvantages: may be unpleasant, have to be able to hold substance in mouth and not swallow
Children are not good at this. And the taste has to be okay.
TOPICAL ADMINISTRATION OF DRUGS
Drug applied directly to skin
Adhesive patches, creams, ointments
Advantages: slow, continuous absorption, can be localized to application spot
Disadvantages: skin irritation, not fast
SLOWER IN = SLOWER OUT
What is the distribution of drugs?
Once in the bloodstream, the drug travels throughout the body until it reaches its target (receptor)
Desired-target effects = “therapeutic effects”
Extra-target effects = “side effects”
Majority of drug is not interacting with target
Must pass through (several) membranes to reach target
Only around 2% of the drug makes it to the target tissue
Other areas it goes: Fat, plasma protein, tissue, and plasma
Protein Binding
WHEN IT IS BOUND TO SOMETHING ELSE, THEN IT IS STUCK THERE.
Plasma, tissue, cell
Plasma
Albumin, lipoproteins, alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AAG)
Drug is inactive when bound
Distribution
Larger molecule; harder to cross cell membranes
Elimination
Protein-bound drug serves as a “reservoir”
Bound drug cannot be metabolized or eliminated
Capillary Membranes and Drugs
Drugs exit capillaries through small pores called fenestra
90-150 angstroms wide
Most drug molecules are smaller
Blood cells and plasma proteins cannot pass through
Move via diffusion until equilibrium with surrounding fluid is established
If drug binds to plasma proteins, it will not be able to leave capillaries
Rate of drug entry into specific tissues is determined by:
- Rate of blood flow through tissue
- Ease of passage through fenestra
i.e. plasma binding
What is the Blood-Brain Barrier?
Combination of “tight junctions” of capillary endothelial cells (no fenestra) and “astrocytic sheth”
Astrocytic sheath becomes more permeable with age
Rate of drug passage into the brain determined by:
Size of molecule, lipid solubility
What are the principles of ADME?
Absorption: How it will go in
Distribution: Where will it go
Metabolism: hos it is broken down?
Excretion: How does it leave?
What is the volume of distribution? (Vd)
Theoretical value
The volume necessary to contain the total amount of administered drug at the same concentration observed in plasma.
A small Vd (<10 L) indicates that the drug is staying in the circulatory system, not diffusing into tissue
Medium Vd (10-25 L) indicates the drug is primarily in the blood and extracellular fluid.
High Vd (>25 L) indicates the drug is going into tissue
In general, higher Vd is associated with:
Longer excretion time
More drug needed to get into brain
Longer time to get into brain
What are metabolites?
Water soluble
Larger
Less lipid soluble
What is the brand name and use for Chlorpromazine?
Chlorpromazine treats mental health conditions, like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It regulates your mood. In addition, it can also help you relax before a procedure and treat nausea, vomiting, prolonged hiccups and more. The brand name of this medication is Thorazine®.
What is capillary membranes?
WHEN IT IS BOUND TO SOMETHING ELSE, THEN IT IS STUCK THERE.
Drugs exit capillaries through small pores called fenestra
90-150 angstroms wide
Most drug molecules are smaller
Blood cells and plasma proteins cannot pass through
Move via diffusion until equilibrium with surrounding fluid is established
If drug binds to plasma proteins, it will not be able to leave capillaries
Rate of drug entry into specific tissues is determined by:
Rate of blood flow through tissue
Ease of passage through fenestra
i.e. plasma binding
What is extra target binding ?
MOVE VIA DIFFUSION
Only unbound drug molecules can interact with their targets
Protein binding (in blood stream)
Albumin – mainly acidic molecules
α1-acid glycoprotein
lipoproteins
Tissue binding (intra cellular)
Proteins
Phosopholipids
Nucleic acids
Fat binding
Lipid solubility
Poorly vascularized
Extra Target Binding: Occasionally, drugs may also bind to other molecules besides their intended targets. This can happen due to similarities between the drug’s structure and other molecules in the body, leading to unintended interactions. These extra interactions can sometimes cause side effects or impact the drug’s efficacy.
Understanding extra target binding is important in drug development and pharmacology because it helps researchers anticipate and mitigate potential side effects or off-target effects of medications. By studying a drug’s interactions with various molecules in the body, scientists can better optimize its therapeutic profile while minimizing adverse effects.