Pharmacokinetics Flashcards
What is ADME?
- Absorption
- Distribution
- Metabolism
- Excretion
What is bulk flow?
Movement of blood from a high pressure region to a low pressure region
What is the diffusion coefficient? (2)
- 1/sqrt(molecular weight)
- Larger molecular weight = slower diffusion
What is pinocytosis?
Cell takes in extracellular fluid along with any dissolved molecules
What is the partition coefficient?
Describes how well a substance dissolves into water vs oil
What are the properties of a non-polar drug? (3)
- Fast rate of absorption from the gut
- High penetration of the brain and other tissues
- Efficient renal elimination
What kind of substance are many drugs?
Weak acids/bases
What is the pKa value for weak acids?
Always below 7
What is the pKa value for weak bases?
Always above 7
What form are weak acids in at low pH?
Un-ionized form (i.e. associated)
In which form can weak acids/bases cross lipid membranes?
Uncharged (i.e. associated)
What is the Henderson Hasselbalch equation?
pKa = pH + log10(HA/A-)
What kind of substance is aspirin?
Weak acid
What is ionic trapping?
When a substance dissociates into its ionic form in the plasma, it can’t enter cells across the lipid membrane so is trapped and circulated around the body
What reduces excretion of weak acids?
Urine acidification
How can you increase the rate of excretion of weak acids from the body?
Increase the pH of plasma e.g. sodium bicarbonate causes the drug to be trapped in the plasma in its ionic form
What is the most direct route of drug administration?
Intravenous injection
What is an intrathecal injection?
Injection into the spinal chord
What is percutaneous administration?
Application of medication to the skin for absorption
What is the most common route of administration?
Oral
Why can the rectal route be favourable over the oral route?
- Avoids the issue of the portal blood system from the gut to the liver
- Drug sent to the liver from the gut, metabolised and excreted via the kidneys
What is bioavailability?
Fraction of ingested does which gains access to the circulation
What are the factors affecting absorption? (5)
- Site/method of administration
- Molecular weight (diffusion rate)
- Lipid solubility
- pH and ionisation
- Transporters available
What is metformin used for?
Type 2 diabetes
What are the major body compartments? (4)
- Extracellular fluid
- Intracellular fluid
- Transcellular fluid
- Fat