Pharmacology Flashcards
How does the potency of synthetic glucocorticoids compare to endogenous cortisol?
synthetic glucocorticoids are more potent immunosuppressive and immunoregulatory agents and have relatively minimal mineralocorticoid activity
How do glucocorticoids pass through the cell membrane?
Glucocorticoids are lipophilic and diffuse easily through the cell membranes
What happens to glucocorticoids once they pass through the cell membrane?
They bind to the chaperone-GC receptor complex –>
chaperone dissociates –>
now the glucocorticoid-GC receptor complex can pass through the nucleus –>
causes genomic effects
What are the three theorized ways that glucocorticoids can interact with DNA and cause genomic effects?
1) Direct binding to glucocorticoid response elements (positive and negative)
2) Tethering
3) Composite (both direct binding and tethering)
What happens if the ligand-bound glucocorticoid binds to the positive glucocorticoid response element (+GRE)?
induces transcription of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory genes:
annexin-A1 (ANAX1, also known as lipocortin 1)
GC-induced leucine zipper (GLIZ)
mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1 (MPK1)
*the effects that we are looking for
What happens if the ligand-bound glucocorticoid binds to the negative glucocorticoid response element (nGRE)?
inhibits the transcription of genes:
corticotropin-releasing hormone
melanocyte-stimulating hormone
β-endorphin
*some of the side effects
What happens in the tethering scheme of how glucocorticoids exert genomic effects?
physical interaction with another transcription factor without direct contact with DNA
interferes with activators of most inflammatory cytokines/adhesion molecules
- NF-κB
- activator protein-1 (AP-1)
also interferes with key proinflammatory transcription factors
- STAT
- nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)
How do glucocorticoids affect B cells?
Uncertain exactly how, some through genomic effects
Chronic use of GC is associated with inhibition of B cell antibody production
The genomic mechanism of glucocorticoid activity may take hours to days to take effect. How can glucocorticoids act within minutes?
nongenomic mechanism
interaction of GCs with membrane-specific GR, cytosolic GR (resulting in the release of a variety of proteins without the need to translocate into the nucleus) and nonspecific interactions with cell membranes leads to alteration of transmembrane currents, signal transduction and intracellular calcium levels (all have anti-inflammatory effects)
How do the effects of glucocorticoids correlate to time of detection in plasma?
the effects of GCs do not necessarily correlate to the time detectable in plasma
Doses are therefore often derived from human use, or based on the pharmacodynamic (clinical) response in the individual animal
Why should you give cats prednisolone and not prednisone?
Thought to be lacking hepatic 11-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1
needed to convert prednisone to prednisolone
only approximately 20% of drug is converted to prednisolone
(might also be lower oral absorption of prednisone)
When should prednisolone be used instead of prednisone for dogs?
altered hepatic function
poor response to prednisone (so individuals may have less 11βHSD1 activity)
In an over-conditioned animal, how should glucocorticoids be dosed?
dosed on lean body mass
over-conditioned cats plasma concentrations of prednisolone was 2x normal cats
What is the bioavailability of transdermal dexamethasone in cats?
not good, plasma concentrations were low to undetectable
What happens to plasma neutrophil and lymphocyte counts in dogs after 1 mg/kg of prednisolone IV?
plasma neutrophil counts increased and lymphocyte counts decreased, and had returned to baseline within the suggested 24-hour dosing interval
Why are cats less responsive to the anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive and adverse effects of GCs compared to dogs?
a reduced number of GR in the skin and liver of cats compared to dogs
those receptors present are also lower-affinity receptors in cats
Which glucocorticoid has been associated with the induction of congestive heart failure in cats and why is it thought to happen?
methylprednisolone acetate (Depo-Medrol)
consequence of a shift in fluids resulting in an increased plasma volume secondary to glucocorticoid-induced hyperglycemia
What happened to the hearts of healthy cats with allergic dermatitis given prednisolone at 1-2 mg/kg/day for 14 days?
no significant hemodynamic and echocardiographic changes
How should glucocorticoids be dosed in large breed dogs?
mg/m2
(40 mg/m2 is roughly equal to 2 mg/kg)
Why do steroids cause skin atrophy and fragility?
Inhibitory effect on keratinocyte proliferation in the epidermis
Inhibition of collagen 1 and 3 synthesis in the dermis
Inhibition of fibroblasts and hyaluronan synthase 3 enzyme resulting in the reduction of hyaluronic acid in the extracellular matrix leading to dermal atrophy
Topical steroids cause the synthesis of lipocortin. What pro-inflammatory enzyme does this inhibit?
Phospholipase A2
acts on the cell membrane to release arachidonic acid
Why do steroids cause delayed wound healing?
various reasons
Inhibition of keratinocytes may cause delayed re-epithelialization
Inhibition of fibroblasts-reduced collagen and ground substance
Inhibition of vascular connective tissue
Delayed granulation tissue formation may be caused by inhibition of angiogenesis
What does the NFkB family do in normal cells? Cells with inflammatory stimuli?
Normally the NfkB members (p50, p65, p52, REL, RELB) are bound by an inhibitor
With inflammatory stimuli the inhibitor is dephosphorylated –>
disassociates and now NfkB can enter the nucleus and do many actions:
1) induce proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines (TNFa, IL-1, IL-6, CXCL8)
2) induce anti-apoptosis enzymes (BCL-2)
3) enhance lymphocyte survival and activation
4) increase adhesion molecules (ICAM1, VCAM1)
How does nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT) work?
NFAT is normally phosphorylated and cannot enter the nucleus but…
MCH II presents an antigen to the TCR –>
increases intracellular calcium (via release from ER) –>
Ca2+ activates calmodulin which binds calcineurin –>
together dephosphorylates NFAT –>
NFAT can enter nucleus –>
increase transcription of IL-2, IL-4, TNF-a, IFN-y –>
activates lymphocytes