Pharmacokinetics & pharmacodynamics Flashcards
What is the MOA of barbituates
Act on GABA receptors and increase the DURATION of chloride channel opening
MOA of cyproheptadine
H1 antagonist (it also has 5HT-2 antagonist action)
What can cyproheptadine be used for?
Treatment of sexual dysfunction caused by increased serotonin transmission, particularly anorgasmia
Some evidence it could be used to treat akathisia (unlicensed)
MOA of Aripiprazole
Partial D2 agonist
Partial 5-HT1A agonist
High affinity antagonist at 5-HT2A
Low/moderate affinity antagonist of H1 and alpha-1
Is lamotrigine advised for acute mania?
NO
What changes to receptors would you see with chronic administration of antidepressants?
Down regulation of beta receptors
Which antidepressant is a weak inhibitor of P450?
Citalopram (and escitalopram)
MOA of valproate
Complex - inhibits catabolism of GABA, reduces turnover of arachidonic acid, reduces levels of protein kinase C, promotes brain derived neurotrophic factor expression
What is the active metabolite of trazodone?
mCPP
What does mCPP do?
Agonist at 5HT2C receptors
Bruxism is most associated with which class of drugs?
Stimulants
MOA of Varenicline
Partial nicotinic agonist
What is efficacy?
How well the drug produces the expected response
What does efficacy depend on?
Affinity
Potency
Duration of receptor action
Half life
Which medications are effective for premature ejaculation?
Fluoxetine & sertraline
What does mirtazapine preferentially block at lower doses?
H1
Which receptors does mirtazapine act on?
Alpha 2 blocker - increases serotonergic activity - antidepressant
Alpha 2 autoreceptor blocker - increases noradrenergic activity - antidepressant
H1 blocker - sedation, weight gain, dry mouth
5HT3 blocker - antiemetic
5HT2C blocker - antidepressant
5HT2A blocker - reduces akathisia
Which receptors does Risperidone act on?
Antagonist of 5-HT2A, D2, alpha-1, alpha-2 and H1
Which drug has high D2/high 5Ht2A activity?
Risperidone
Which drug has low D2 and high 5HT2A activity?
Clozapine
Which drug has high D2 and low 5HT2A activity?
Haloperidol
Which antipsychotic is a predominant D2 antagonist at therapeutic doses?
Sulpride (minimal D3 antagonist/partial agonist action)
MOA of Amisulpride
D2/D3 antagonist
Blocks autoreceptors, increasing synaptic dopamine levels
Which are the most sedative TCAs?
Dothiepin and amitriptyline
What can cause anorgasmia?
Alpha 1 antagonism
Raised prolactin
Which antipsychotic is best tolerated in Parkinson’s disease?
Quetiapine
What is the suggested pharmacological basis for clozapine-related hypersalivation?
M4 agonism
Half life of methadone
24 hours
Effect of non-competitive antagonists on receptor sites
Alter the receptor site so that the effects can reversed only partially by increasing dose of agonist drug
Effect of non-competitive antagonists on agonists
Reduces potency and efficacy of agonists
Which TCA has the largest evidence base in ADHD?
Desipramine
Which TCA has stimulant effect?
Desipramine
How does tyramine enter the presynaptic neuron?
Amine uptake pumps
4 main mechanisms of absorption
- Passive diffusion
- Facilitated diffusion
- Active transport
- Endocytosis
Where does most absorption from the gut take place and why?
Small intestine
Less acidic than stomach
Large surface area
Long transit time
Where does the absorption of most MR formulations take place?
Large bowel
Drugs which are 95-99% protein bound
Diazepam
Chlopromazine
Amitriptyline
Imipramine
Drugs which are 90-95% protein bound
Phenytoin
Valproate
Clomipramine
Principle plasma protein responsible for binding to acidic drugs
Albumin
Principle plasma protein for binding to basic drugs
Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein
Are most psychotropic drugs acid or base?
Basic
Equation for volume of distribution
Vd = Quantity of drug/plasma conc. at time of administration
What does high volume of distribution suggest?
Drug concentrated in cells or fatty tissues and not the blood
What is a high figure for Vd?
500-1000
What is the BBB made up of?
Capillary endothelium which have tight junctions
What type of molecules can cross BBB easily?
Unionized molecules that are less protein bound
Which parts of the brain lack BBB?
Area postrema of the medulla
Median eminence
Subfornical organ
Where is the blood-CSF barrier found?
Choroid plexus
What are tight junctions located between in blood-CSF barrier?
Adjacent epithelial cells
What is bioavailability?
How much of an administered drug reaches its target
How do you determine the bioavailability fraction?
Area under the curve obtained for orally administered drug divided by area under the curve for IV administered drug
Give an example of a TCA that undergoes high degree of first pass metabolism
Imipramine - only 30-80% of the oral dose enters the systemic circulation
What is bioequivalence?
Measure of comparability of plasma levels of 2 different formulations of the same active compound when given at the same dose and same route of administration
What does xenobiotics refer to?
The mechanism by which a foreign agent such as a drug molecule is metabolised and eliminated from the body
Where is the principal site of drug metabolism?
Liver
What are the 4 major metabolic routes?
Oxidation
Reduction
Hydrolysis
Conjugation
What happens in phase 1 metabolism?
Oxidation, reduction and hydrolysis
A molecule suitable for conjugation is produced
What happens in phase 2 metabolism?
Conjugation by reactions such as glucueonidation
Where is a molecule generally excreted if it has a relative molecular mass of less than 300?
Kidneys
Where is a molecule generally excreted if it has a relative molecular mass of more than 300?
Bile
What % and what race of people lack the CYP2D6 enzyme?
5-10% of Caucasian people
What class of drug and which drugs in this class particularly inhibit CYP system?
SSRIs
Particularly fluoxetine and fluvoxamine
Which drugs can induce their own metabolism?
Carbamazepine
Phenobarbitone
Which food/lifestyle factors are CYP inducers?
Alcohol
Smoking
Brussel sprouts
Which food/lifestyle factors are CYP inhibitors?
Grapefruit juice
Caffeine
Which major psychotropics are metabolised by CYP2D6?
All TCAs All neuroleptics Fluoxetine Paroxetine Valproate Risperidone
Which major psychotropics are metabolised by CYP3A4?
Most benzos
Mirtazapine
Fluvoxamine
Via which enzyme do smoking and caffeine affect glucuronidation?
UGT (and also by CYP1A2)
What is risperidone metabolised by?
CYP2D6
CYP3A
What is aripiprazole metabolised by?
CYP2D6 CYP3A
What is Quetiapine metabolised by?
CYP3A
What is clearance?
Term used to describe the rate of elimination of a drug
The volume of blood cleared of a particular drug in a unit of time
What is clearance directly proportional to?
Volume of distribution
Which drugs are excreted renally without significant liver breakdown?
Lithium Amisulpride Sulpride Gabapentin Acamprosate Amantadine
What is half life defined as?
Time taken for the plasma concentration of a drug to halve
Rate of elimination in zero order kinetics
Constant
Rate of elimination in first order kinetics
Directly proportional to drug concentration
Which drugs undergo zero order kinetics?
Modified release preparations and depots
Ethanol
Phenytoin
What happens to gastric pH in elderly?
Increases
Physiological changes in neonates
Higher body water
Lower adipose tissue
BBB more permable
Low conc of albumin
Physiological changes in pregnancy
Delayed gastric emptying
Increase Vd
Decreased albumin
Increased GFR and renal clearance