Pharmacological basis of treatment of the GI disorders Flashcards
What are the areas of pharmacological importance in treating GI tract disorders?
Gastric acid secretion → 2.5L of gastric juice secreted/day
Vomiting
Gut motility
Bile formation & excretion
What is the main clinical use of H2 receptor agonists?
Give some examples of H2 receptor agonists
Peptic ulcer Reflex oesophagitis
ranitidine, cimetidine, famotidine, nizartidine
Describe the mechanism of action of H2 receptor agonists
What are the consequences?
Inhibit histamine-, ACh- and gastrin-stimulated acid secretion on parietal cells
Reduce gastric acid secretion and as a consequence reduce pepsin secretion – do you know how it does that?
Can decrease basal and food-stimulated acid secretion by 90%. Does food stimulate acid secretion – what is the mechanism?
Promote the healing of duodenal ulcers
But if you stop treatment, you get relapse
What are the unwanted effects of H2 receptor agonists?
Generally rare but there may be diarrhoea, muscle cramps, transient rashes, hypergastrinaemia
Cimetidine → gynecomastia in men (↓ sexual function, but this is rare)
Cimetidine also inhibits P450 enzymes → ↓ metabolism of a number of drugs metabolised by P450 enzymes, e.g. anticoagulants, tricyclic antidepressants (e.g. imipramine, dosulepin, amytriptyline, etc.)
Which is more effective: ranitidine and cimetidine on inhibition of acid secretion?
Ranitidine
Give some examples of anti-secretory agents: proton pump inhibitors in the treatment of gastric ulcers
Examples: omeprazole, lanzoprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole
What are the clinical uses of proton pump inhibitors?
Clinical uses of proton pump inhibitors
- Peptic ulcer, reflux oesophagitis; as a component of therapy for H. pylori
- Can also be used in the treatment of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
- Drugs of choice, especially if hyper-secretion occurs, e.g. Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Describe the mechanism of action of Proton pump inhibitors in the treatment of gastric ulcers
What are the adverse side effects (unwanted effects)?
Mechanism of action of proton pump inhibitors
- Weak bases; inactive at neutral pH and irreversibly inhibit the H+/K+-ATPase pump
- Decreases basal and food-stimulated gastric acid secretion
Headache, diarrhoea, mental confusion, rashes, somnolence, impotence, gynaecomastia; dizziness
What drugs protect the gastric mucosa?
Prostaglandins (PGE2 and PGI2) are gastroprotective
How are prostaglandins (PGE2 and PGI2) gastroprotective?
Using Misoprostol as an example
Misoprostol (a stable analogue of PGE1)
Mode of action of misoprostol
- Inhibits basal- and food-stimulated gastric acid secretion
- Inhibits histamine-, and caffeine-induced gastric acid secretion
- Inhibits the activity of parietal cells
- Increases mucosal blood flow and can augment the secretion of HCO3- and mucus
Describe the effects of metoclopramide on gastric motility and emptying
- Metoclopromide inhibits pre- and post-synaptic dopamine (D2) receptors as well as 5-HT3 receptors (CNS) – inhibits vomiting
- Stimulates 5-HT4 (ENS) - prokinetic
What effect does dopamine (metoclopramide) have on gastric motility and emptying?
- Dopamine inhibits the release of ACh
- Dopamine inhibits the release of ACh from intrinsic myenteric cholinergic neurons by activating prejunctional D2 receptors
- Dopamine has relaxant effects on the gut by activating D2 receptors in the lower oesophageal sphincter and stomach (fundus and antrum)
Dopamine acts on different dopamine receptors
- Overall, dopamine has mixed effects on the gut – may induce contraction in the proximal, but relaxation in the distal small intestine
Describe the effects of inhibition of dopamine at D2 receptors
- ↑ release of ACh (↑ peristalsis of duodenum, jejunum and ileum)
- ↑ ACh →↑intragastric pressure (due ↑ LOS tone and ↑ tone of gastric contractions)
- These improve antroduodenal coordination which accelerates gastric emptying; relaxes pyloric sphincter
Through additional prokinetic effects…
It stimulates presynaptic excitatory 5-HT receptors and inhibitory nitregeric neurons → coordinated gastric motility
What are the overall effects of Metoclopramide?
- Useful for gastrointestinal reflux [but useless in paralytic ileus (as it causes moderate to diffuse abdominal discomfort e.g. → abdominal distension, nausea/vomiting especially after meals, lack of bowel movement/flatulence]
- Stimulates gastric motility
- Accelerates gastric emptying
Describe the clinical utility of metoclopromide
Symptoms of gastroparesis
Promotes gastric emptying
Anti-emetic effects via central pathways
GORD; nausea due to surgery or cancer
Have a read of the summary of the effects of metoclopramide
Metoclopromide promotes gut motility by the following mechanisms:
- Inhibits presynaptic and postsynaptic D2 receptors,
- Stimulates the release of ACh / SP from enteric neurons
- Elicits mixed 5-HT agonist and antagonist effects, e.g., stimulates excitatory 5-HT4 receptors (ENS), but inhibits 5-HT3 receptors (CNS);
- Stimulates inhibitory nitregic neurons – mediate NO release
- Increases intragastric pressure -↑ LOS and gastric tones
- Motility stimulant - improves antro-duodenal coordination and accelerated gastric emptying
GORD; nausea due to surgery or cancer; symptoms of gastroparesis
- There is some evidence that metoclopramide leads to increased gastric emptying by enhancing antral contractions as well as decreasing postprandial fundus relaxation
- However, its prokinetic effects may be limited to the proximal gut
Give some examples of Antispasmodic agents
Examples: propantheline, dicloxerine (dicyclomine), mebeverine
What do Antispasmodic agents do?
What do they treat?
What type of agonists are they, what nervous system do they inhibit?
What does this cause?
- ↓ spasm in bowel. They have relaxant action on GIT (relax smooth muscle in GIT)
May be useful in irritable bowel syndrome and diverticular disease – a congenital lesion, may be a source of bacterial overgrowth.
Muscarinic receptor antagonists: inhibit parasympathetic activity. This reduces spasm in the bowel