Pharmacokinetics Flashcards
Tetracyclines
Soluble at acid pH but insoluble at neutral pH. Any that enters the intestines precipitates and is lost in faeces
Majority of absorption in the stomach
Levodopa
Absorbed via phenylalanine transporter
Used in treating Parkinson’s disease
Heparin
Anti coagulant
Unfractionated is a carbohydrate polymer of variable chain length MW 3-30 kDa, so cannot permeate between endothelial cells, and isn’t specifically transported, so is restricted to the plasma compartment
Ivermectin
Toxicity in collie dogs associated with a frameshift mutation and premature stop codon in mdr1a gene which is the P-glycoprotein ABC transporter across the BBBo
Gentamicin
Aminoglycoside antibiotic
Hydrophilic but small enough to cross endothelium
Vd similar to plasma + interstitial
Ethanol
Vd similar to total body water 42-45l
Acts on GABAA receptors
Codeine/morphine
Morphine Vd 250l due to sequestration in fat
Opiate widely used for pain relief, also cough suppression, antidiarrheal
Side effects respiratory depression, constipation, sedation, addiction
Act via mu opioid receptor
Codeine ineffective at plasma conc - seen as a prodrug
Small amount of codeine metabolised to morphine in liver by CYP2D6
Most directly glucoronidate or converted to norcodeine
Morphine-6-glucuronide (morphine glucorinidated) is a high affinity agonist and may be responsible for some of the action and side effects of codeine and morphine
Morphine secreted in protonated cationic form (it is a base) by OBTs
Thiopental
General anaesthetic Sequestered in fat as very lipophilic Lipophilic also means crosses BBB Binds to plasma proteins Metabolised in liver - metabolism close to saturation, so can show zero order kinetics if maintained by infusion or repeated injection
Warfarin
Acidic
Binds to site on albumin
Salicylic acid
Acidic
Binds to site on albumin
Phenytoin
Acidic
Binds to site on albumin
Phase 1 hydroxylation by CYP2C9/19
Phase 2 glucuronidation by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases
Can inhibit both
Therapeutic doses close to saturation for hydroxylation by CYP2C9
Small increase in dose rate can lead to much greater plasma conc and toxicity
Sulfonamides
Bilirubin binds to plasma proteins, if displaced, eg by sulfonamides, C free will increase
Can lead to increased bilirubin in the brain and neurological damage
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
CYP2D6 especially, also CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 substrates
So can also inhibit these
Major source of adverse drug interactions
Reduces morphine formation from codeine and prevents its analgesic effect
Quinidine
Competitive inhibitor of CYP2D6 but not a substrate
Ketoconazole
Complexes with Fe3+ form of Haem in CYP3A4
Non competitive inhibitor
Grapefruit juice
Can inhibit CYP3A4
Affects DHPR calcium channel blockers, statins, anti cancer drugs, antibiotics like erythromycin and immunosuppressants like cyclosporine
Major site of action CYP3A4 in intestinal wall rather than the liver - mainly inhibits first pass metabolism
Phenobarbital
Can activate RXR (retinoid X receptor)
Inhiibts glucuronidation
Rifampicin
Antibiotic
Can activate RXR (retinoid X receptor)
Ritonavir
HIV protease inhibitor
Can activate RXR (retinoid X receptor)
St John’s Wort
Commonly used for mild and moderate depression
Can activate RXR (retinoid X receptor)
Amphetamines
Metabolised by FMO3
Clozapine
Anti psychotic
Metabolised by FMO3
Ranitidine
Histamine H2 receptor antagonist
Metabolised by FMO3
Carbamazepine
Anti epileptic drug
Prodrug activates by CYPs to generate a reactive and active epoxide
This is hydrolysed by microsomes EH, which also inactivates the drug
Valproic acid
Anti convulsant
Inhibits microsomal epoxide hydroxylases
Increaes conc of active metabolite of carbamazepine and delaying its elimination
Ethanol
Ethanol oxidised to toxic acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase and this concerted to acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase
Metabolism saturated at a fairly low alcohol intake. Above this, zero order kinetics.
Chronic alcohol intake can increase the rate of ethanol metabolism through induction of CYP2E1
Aspirin
Hydrolysed to salicylic acid by esterases
Heroin
Diacetylmorphine
Also converted to morphine for action
It’s acetyl groups increase lipophilicity so can cross BBB
Conversion to morphine in the brain
N-acetyl cysteine
Exogenous GSH glutathione source
Can replenish during toxic doses of paracetamol
Paracetamol
Paracetamol hepatic injury - sulfonation phase 2 saturated so depletes GSH
Inhibitors of glucuronidation like phenytoin or pentobarbital can trigger injury
Induction of CYP2E1 by chronic alcohol consumption may also increase hepatotoxicity risk
Secreted by OATs as glucuronide and sulfide conjugate
Aminoglycoside antibiotics
Polar
Not heavily bound to plasma proteins
readily cleared by glomerular filtration
Penicillin
Secretion in kidney by OATs
Acidic
Transported in negatively charged anionic form
Competition with probenecid: prolongs action of penicillin by reducing its tubular secretion
Probenecid
Probenecid: prolongs action of penicillin by reducing its tubular secretion
Isoflurane
Stereospecific anaesthetic
Activate K2P family
Hyperpolarisation
Reduced neuronal activity
Barbiturates
Act on GABAA receptors
Propofol
IV anaesthetic, acts on beta subunit of GABA a
Etomidate
IV anaesthetic, acts on beta subunit of GABA a
Halothane
Mutation in TASK3 abolishes effect
Xenon
And nos
Inhibit excitatory NMDA receptors
Thiopental
Barbiturate
IV
rapid onset
Lipophilic
Binds to plasma proteins
Metabolised in liver, close to saturation
Rapid return of consciousness due to redistribution not metabolism
Slow metabolism means that sub-anaesthetic concs lead to side effect ‘anaesthetic hangover’
Propofol
IV
rapid anaesthesia, faster than thiopentone
More rapid metabolism
May have an anti-emetic effect
Etomidate
IV
Wider therapeutic window for anaesthesia over cardiovascular depression
Higher rate of vomiting and nausea during recovery compared to propofol
Define pharmacodynamics
The interaction between a drug and its receptors (including affinity and efficacy, and tissue distribution of receptors(
What does the relationship between the administered dose and concentration at the target site depend on?
Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion
Define minimum therapeutic concentration
The level the plasma concentration must be higher than to see the desired therapeutic effect
What is the gap between the minimum toxic concentration and the minimum therapeutic concentration called?
Therapeutic window
What are the advantages and disadvantages of IV infusion?
Advantages: fastest, most certain
Disadvantage: skilled practitioner, inconvenience to patient, if bolus initially very high concentration in right side of the heart and pulmonary circulation, infection risk
What does rate of diffusion across membranes depend on?
Concentration gradient
Surface area
How lipophilic the drug is
Which drugs absorb well in the stomach?
Weak acids - reassociate so uncharged form can diffuse across the membrane
Which drugs absorb well in the small intestine?
Weak bases - dissociate so can diffuse across the membrane
Which factors affect absorption of drugs in the gut?
Gastric motility Splanchnic blood flow Food Gastric emptying Diarrhoea and vomiting
What are enteric coatings?
Coatings of drugs that would break down in acid. Coating is stable at acid pH but break down at higher pH.
What is the name of the metabolism of drugs by enzymes in the small intestinal wall or the liver?
First-pass effect
Define bioavailability
Fraction of the delivered dose that reaches the systemic circulation
Which factors affect bioavailability?
Ability to cross gut epithelium
Transport back into gut lumen
Drug metabolism in first pass effect or by bacteria
Patient-specific factors e.g. drug interactions, food, altered motility
What is the name of the compartments protected by specialised barriers?
Transcellular e.g. cerebrospinal compartment
What size molecules can pass freely through normal endothelia?
500-600 daltons
What are local anaesthetics chemically? Where do they act? What is the significance of this?
Weak bases
Act on intracellular side of NaV
Enter cells in their unionised form
Local inflammation decreases tissue pH, shifting eq to favour ionised form, so local anaesthesia is delayed or even prevented
Give examples of SLCs
Solute carrier superfamily
OAT organic anion transporter
OCT organic cation transporters
SERT
Give examples of ABCs
ATP-binding cassette
MDR-1
Describe the blood brain barrier
Capillaries supplying the brain have very tight junctions between endothelial cells and are further surrounded by astrocytes
So impermeable to drugs that are not sufficiently lipophilic to cross plasma membranes, be taken up by transporters or through transcytosis
Can be disrupted by inflammation
Why can ion trapping occur in the fetal-maternal circulations?
Fetal pH is usually slightly lower than maternal pH
Define volume of distribution
The volume that would contain the total amount of drug in the body at a concentration equal to the plasma concentration
List the reference values for Vd for a 70kg human
Plasma: 3L
ECF: 12L
Body water: 42L
Fat, or bound to protein in tissues: >42L up to 20000:
How does tissue sequestration affect Vd?
Increases apparent Vd
As more drug binds to tissues, the concentration of free drug there falls. More drug will leave the plasma, and the plasma concentration falls, so a larger amount of drug is accommodated with a lower plasma concentration.
How can heavy metals be sequestered?
Bind to bone
How does binding to plasma proteins affect Vd?
Increases apparent Vd
Plasma conc measured reflects total amount in the plasma C = Cfree + Cbound. As more drug binds to plasma proteins, the free plasma conc drops, so more drug remains in the plasma, increasing total plasma conc.