Pharmacokinetics - ME Flashcards

1
Q

What is drug elimination?

A

Refers to the processes of drug metabolism and excretion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

How is it possible for drugs to be removed from the body?

A

Body regulates concentrations of endogenous molecules

these regulatory processes also recognise drug molecules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the Phase 1 CYP450 enzymes?

A

Large group of isoenzymes

that metabolise drugs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Where are Phase 1 CYP450 enzymes located?

A

Hepatocytes

surface of ER

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How many different drugs to Phase 1 CYP450 enzymes metabolise?

A

Different types of CYP450s metabolise different types of drugs
but fair amount of overlap because CYP450s are generalists

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is meant by Phase 1 CYP450 enzymes being generalists?

A

Metabolise a wide range of drug molecules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is a disadvantage of Phase 1 CYP450 enzymes being generalists?

A

Take longer to metabolise some drug molecules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What do Phase 1 CYP450 enzymes do?

A

Carry out redox reactions, hydrolysis reactions to the drug molecule

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the purpose of redox and hydrolysis reactions carried out by phase 1 CYP450 enzymes?

A

To introduce polar groups into the drug molecule

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Where are Phase 2 conjugating enzymes located?

A

Hepatocytes

cytosol

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What do Phase 2 conjugating enzymes do?

A

Add chemical groups to the drug molecule

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What happens to the drugs metabolised by Phase 1 CYP450 enzymes?

A

Either elimindated directly

or go on to Phase 2 conjugating enzymes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the most common chemical group added to drug molecules by Phase 2 conjugating enzymes?

A

Glucoronate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the purpose of adding chemical groups to drug molecules by Phase 2 conjugating enzymes?

A

To increase the polarity of the drug molecule

To inactivate the drug

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the purpose of increasing polarity of drug molcules?

A

To make them hydrophilic
so they are excreted more easily in the kidneys, because they won’t be able to diffuse back into the blood once filtered out

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are the factors affecting drug metabolism?

A

Age

Gender

Genetic status

State of health or illness

CYP450 inducton or inhibition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

How does genetic status affect drug metabolism?

A

CYP450 enzymes show genetic polymorphism

affects their metabolic activity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is genetic polymorphism?

A

Refers to when a gene has more than allele in a population

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

How are CYP450 enzymes induced?

A

Increased transcription or translation

Slower degradation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

How does CYP450 induction affect drug metabolism?

A

Faster elimination of drug from the body

build up of metabolites, may be toxic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the clinical significance of CYP450 induction?

A

Dose of drug needs to be adjusted

Levels of drug in body need to be monitored

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

How long does CYP450 induction usually take?

A

1-2 weeks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are the types of CY450 inhibition? What do they each mean?

A

Competitive - inhibitor and drug both metabolised at same site

Non-competititve - inhibitor binds away from active site and inactivates CYP450

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

How does CYP450 inhibition affect drug metabolism?

A

Slow drug elimination from the body

increased plasma drug concentration, may be toxic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is the clinical significance of CY450 inhibition?

A

Avoid giving different drugs at the same time

Dose of drug needs to be adjusted

Levels of drug in body need to be monitored

26
Q

How long does CYP450 inhibition usually take?

A

Few days

27
Q

What are pro-drugs?

A

Refer to drugs that are metabolised in the body to produce their active form

28
Q

How are pro-drugs metabolised to their active form?

A

By Phase 1 CYP450 enzymes

29
Q

What happens to drugs after they are metabolised?

A

They are excreted from the body

completing their elimination

30
Q

Where does drug excretion largely take place?

A

Kidneys

31
Q

What are some examples of other places where drug excretion takes place? How?

A

Intestines - faeces

Lungs - exhalation

Skin - sweat

32
Q

What are the three stages of drug excretion in the kidneys?

A

Glomerular filtration

Proximal tubular secretion

Distal tubular reabsorption

33
Q

What happens in glomerular filtration of drug excretion?

A

Free drug molecules diffuse through capillaries into Bowman’s capsule

34
Q

What happens in proximal tubular secretion of drug excretion?

A

Large hydrophilic drug molecules are actively transported into the proximal tubule by organic anion and cation transporters

35
Q

What happens in distial tubular reabsorption of drug excretion?

A

Water is reabsorbed along length of tubule
leads to increase in concentration of drug molecules in tubule
if lipophilic or unionised, it diffuses back into the blood

36
Q

What is clearance?

A

The rate of elimination of a drug from the body

37
Q

What is the symbol of clearance?

A

CL

38
Q

What are the over-simplifications made by clearance?

A

That there is just one big fluid compartment in the body

That this fluid compartment is the plasma

That defines volumes of plasma become and remain drug-free

39
Q

What is clearance, taking into account its over-simplifications?

A

Volume of plasma cleared of drug per unit time

40
Q

What is the reference volume used when calculating clearance?

A

The volume of distribution

41
Q

What are the units of clearance?

A

ml/min

42
Q

What are the different groups of factors affecting clearance?

A

Hepatic factors affecting metabolism

Renal factors affecting excretion

Cardiovascular factors affecting blood flow to eliminatory organs

43
Q

What is the clinical significance of clearance?

A

Influences dosages required, when required

because it tells us how long the drug will stay in the body

44
Q

What are both volume of distribution and clearance used to calculate?

A

Drug half-life

45
Q

What is drug half-life?

A

The amount of time taken for the plasma drug concentration to decrease to half of what was initially measured

46
Q

What is the symbol of drug half-life?

A

t 1/2

47
Q

How is drug half-life calculated?

A

0.7 x Vd
_______
CL

48
Q

How does volume of distribution relate to drug half-life?

A

Proportional

as Vd changes, drug half-life changes in the same direction

49
Q

How does clearance relate to drug half-life?

A

Inversely proportional
as clearance increases, drug half-life decreases
and as clearance decreases, drug half-life increases

50
Q

What are the groups of factors affecting drug half-life?

A

Factors affecting volume of distribution

Factors affecting clearance

51
Q

What is first order kinetics in the context of drug elimination?

A

The rate of drug elimination is proportional to the plasma drug concentration

52
Q

What does a graph of x axis-time against y axis-plasma drug concentration with first order kinetics look like? Why?

A

Downhill curve

Rate of drug elimination shown by the gradient is higher at higher plasma drug concentrations

53
Q

What does a logarithmic graph of x axis-time against y axis-drug concentration with first order kinetics look like?

A

Straight line

54
Q

What are the conditions of first order kinetics in the context of drug elimination?

A

Enough Phase 1 CYP450 and Phase 2 conjugating enzymes

Enough organic anion and cation transporters

55
Q

What is zero order kinetics in the context of drug elimination?

A

The rate of drug elimination is not afected by the plasma drug concentration

56
Q

What is the cause of zero order kinetics in the context of drug elimination?

A

Phase 1 CYP450 and Phase 2 conjugating enzymes are saturated

Organic anion and cation transporters are saturated

57
Q

What does a graph of x axis-time against y axis-plasma drug concentration in the context of drug elimination look like? Why?

A

Downhill straight line

Rate of elimination shown by the gradient is the same for all plasma drug concentration values

58
Q

When is drug elimination more likely to show zero order kinetics?

A

At high concentrations of the drug
or taking multiple drugs at once that occupy similar sites

Reduced metabolism, excretion of the drug due to age, ill health etc.

59
Q

What are the risks of drug elimination by zero order kinetics?

A

More likely to reach higher concentrations which may be toxic

More likely to have drug-drug interactions as their binding sites are taken up

60
Q

What shape does a graph of x axis-plasma drug concentration against y axis-rate of elimination look like?

A

Rectangular hyperbola

61
Q

Which regions of the rectangular hyperbola x axis-plasma drug concentration against y axis-rate of elimination show first order and zero kinetics? Why?

A

Uphill part of curve is first order kinetics
because rate of elimination increases with plasma drug concentration

Flat part of curve is zero order kinetics
because increasing plasma drug concentration has no effect on rate of elimination