PHAR2 - Pharmacokinetics Flashcards
Define absorption.
Movement of a drug from the site of administration into theblood plasma.
Define bioavailability.
Proportion of the initial drug dosage which gains access to systemic circulation.
What are the differences between absorption and bioavailability?
Absorption is the process by which the drug enters systemic circulation. Bioavailability is the amount of drug that enters systemic circulation.
Give types of drug administration methods.
Intra-venous. Oral. Inhalation. Dermal (percutaneous). Sub-lingual.
Which type of drug administration has the highest drug bioavailability?
Intravenous as drug is injected directly into systemic circulation.
What method does intra-venous drug administration use to move drugs around the body?
Bulk flow transfer.
What are the two methods by which drugs move around the body?
Bulk flow transfer and diffusional transfer.
What are the four main mechanisms for diffusional transfer?
Diffusion through lipid, diffusion through aqueous pores, carrier proteins and pinocytosis.
Describe intra-venous drug administration.
Drug injected directly into systemic circulation.
Describe oral drug administration.
Drug is administered through the mouth.
Describe inhalation all drug administration.
Drug is administered as small droplets via the nose or mouth.
Describe dermal or percutaneous route of drug administration.
Drugs that are administered via the skin e.g. steroid creams.
Describe sub-lingual drug administration route.
Drug that is administered by placing on tongue therefor becomes absorbed into blood.
What is pinocytosis?
Type of endocytosis. Cell membrane is used to form vesicle which delivers molecules from one side to the other side of the membrane.
What are the two main diffusional transfer methods used for drug molecules?
Diffusion through lipid membrane. Facilitated diffusion via carrier proteins.
What chemical property affects drug absorption, drug penetration and drug elimination?
Lipid solubility.
Which lipid membranes are required to be crossed by drugs that are orally administered?
Into the microvilli of the small intestine.
Into the blood vessel via the wall.
Accessing of target tissue.
Which lipid membranes are required to be crossed by drugs that are inhalationally administered?
Membrane of alveolar sac. Membrane of blood vessel. Membrane of target tissue.
Which lipid membranes are required to be crossed by drugs that are intra-nasally administered?
Mucous membranes of nasal sinus. Wall of blood vessel wall. Accessing target tissue.
What is the main factor affect overall lipid solubility of the drug?
Ionised to unionised ratio.
Give one example of weak acidic drug and one weak basic drug.
Aspirin - weak acid.
Morphine - weak base.
What happens to aspirins chemical structure at physiological pH?
Aspirin becomes ionised. It is a weak acid so donates H+ forming anion.
What happens to morphines chemical structure at physiological ph?
Morphine is weak base so accepts proton. Forms cation.
Explain link between ionised/unionised and lipid/water solubility.
Ionised chemical species have an increased water solubility and decreased lipid solubility. Polar region in ionised species interacts with polar water molecules.
Unionised chemical species have an increased lipid solubility and decreased water solubility. Non polar regions are lipid soluble.
Discuss the effect of pH on the ionisation of weak acids.
Acidic conditions favour unionised weak acids. Basic conditions favour ionised weak acids.
Discuss the effect of pH on weak bases.
Acidic conditions favour ionised weak bases. Basic conditions favour unionised weak bases.
What is the purpose of the Henderson-Hasselbach equation?
Allows determination of the ionised to unionised ratio for weak acids and weak bases.
Define a weak acid.
Partial dissociation into protons.
Define a weak base.
Partial association with protons.
What is physiological pH?
7.4
Calculate the ionised to unionised ratio of aspirin in stomach.
pKa of aspirin - 3.5
pH of stomach - 3.0
What does the value tell us? What does the drug do?
10^(3.5-3.0) = 3.16
Greater than 1 means there is more unionised acid than ionised acid. More unionised means it is lipid soluble. Passes across lipid membrane of stomach so can move to other body compartments.
Calculate the ionised to unionised ratio of morphine in blood.
pKa of morphine - 8.0
pH of blood - 7.4
What does the value tell us? What does the drug do?
10^(8.0-7.4) = 3.98
Greater than 1 means there is more ionised base than unionised base. Ionised base has lower lipid solubility so remains in blood as it cannot cross lipid membrane of blood vessel.
Discuss the pH partition hypothesis.
Drugs are able to become trapped in different body compartments based on the pH in that compartment and whether the drug is acidic or basic.
Is pH high or low in body compartments that trap acidic drugs? Why?
Acidic drugs trapped in high pH body compartments. High pH means more ionised drug. More ionised drug means less lipid soluble. Unable to cross lipid membranes so cannot move out of body compartment.
Is pH high or low in body compartments that trap basic drugs? Why?
Basic drugs are trapped in body compartments with low pH. Low pH means more ionised basic drug. More ionised means less lipid soluble. Unable to cross lipid membranes so remains trapped in body compartment.
What is the role of carrier transport systems in drug absorption?
Uses carrier proteins that are transmembrane to move drugs across lipid membranes. Process is facilitate diffusion.
Give four examples of locations of carrier proteins.
Renal tubule. Biliary tract. Blood-brain barrier. Gastrointestinal tract.
Define the difference between systemic and local effects.
Systemic effects - blood enters systemic circulation and can have effects in various locations.
Local effects - blood has localised effects in one area and usually does not enter systemic circulation.
Discuss advantages of local effects over systemic effects.
Drug delivered directly to site of action. High dosage can be administered without fear of systemic side effects.
Can a drug effect be completely localised? If no/yes, why?
No as most tissues have some access to blood. Results in drug entering blood so can be circulated systemically.
What factor increases the likelihood of a drug for local effects, causing systemic effects?
Drugs with high lipid solubility are likely to enter blood rapidly as they can cross lipid membrane of blood vessel.
Give two examples of drugs taken via the inhalational route and whether their effects are systemic or local.
Salbutamol - local - dilates airways.
Cannabis - systemic - alters function of brain.
Give two examples of drugs taken via the oral route and whether their effects are systemic or local.
Aspirin - systemic - analgesic/pain relieving effect.
Antacid - local - neutralises stomach acid.
Give two examples of drugs taken via the trans-dermal route and whether their effects are systemic or local.
Betnovate Steroid - local - anti inflammatory effect.
Nicotine - systemic - alters brain functioning.
What is drug distribution?
The process by which drugs are distributed to different body compartments following drug absorption.
What are the four factors that affect drug distribution?
Regional blood flow.
Plasma protein binding.
Capillary permeability.
Tissue localisation.
Discuss the effect of regional blood flow on drug distribution.
Body compartments that receive more blood of the cardiac output would receive more drug in systemic circulation.
Which organ receives the greatest regional blood flow?
Liver.