Pharmacology 2 + 3 Flashcards
How is vascular smooth muscle tone regulated?
Balancing the processes of contraction and relaxation
How is contraction of vascular smooth muscle caused? (6)
- Begins either with hormone activation of GPCR coupled to Gq11 or depolarisation activating Ca+ channels
- Both trigger release of calcium from SR
- Ca++ binds to calmodulin to form Ca-calmodulin
- Ca-calmodulin activates myosin light chain kinase
- ATP phosphorylates myosin cross bridge to bind actin
- Contraction
How is relaxation of vascular smooth muscle caused? (3)
- Myosin light chain phosphatase activated by phophokinase G which is activated by cGMP
- Dephosphorylates myosin light chain kinase
- Relaxation
What is the role of endothelium in vascular smooth muscle tone regarding NO and exogenous organic nitrates? (5 + 1 extra thing)
- Vasodilating substances increase Ca++ in endothelial cell
- Combines with calmodulin and activates endothelial nitric oxide synthase
- ENOS catalyses conversion of L-arginine to NO and citrulline
- NO enters vascular smooth muscle cells and activates guanylyl cyclase which converts GTP to cGMP
- cGMP activates PKG which causes relaxation
- NO also activates K+ channels causing hyperpolarisation and thus relaxation
How else is NO delivered to vascular smooth muscle cells?
Organic nitrates (e.g. GTN) donate NO to smooth muscle, activating guanylyl cyclase and so on…
What is the function of organic nitrates?
Relax all types of smooth muscle via their metabolism to nitric oxide
What are the clinical effects of organic nitrates? (3)
- Venorelaxation - decreased CVP (preload) reduces SV, but CO maintained by HR so no change in arterial pressure
- Arteriolar dilatation – decreases arterial pressure reducing afterload, reduces pulse wave reflection from arterial branches
- Increased coronary blood flow in normal individuals (in angina, no increase but blood is redirected towards ischaemic zone)
Why are organic nitrates beneficial in treating angina? (3)
Decreased myocardial oxygen requirement due to:-
- decreased preload
- decreased afterload
- improved perfusion of ishaemic zone
How do organic nitrate increase blood flow to ischaemic zone in angina?
Dilate collateral vessels below blocked artery
What are clinical uses of organic nitrates? (2)
Stable angina and acute coronary syndrome
What are examples of organic nitrates used clinically? (3)
- Glyceryltrinitrate (GTN)
- Isosorbide mononitrate (ISMN)
- Isosorbide dinitrate
What are the clinical features of GTN? (3)
- Short-acting (30 min)
- Administered sublingually or as spray (for rapid effect before exertion in stable angina) or IV with aspirin in acute coronary syndrome (not given orally cause undergoes extensive first pass metabolism)
- More sustained effect if delivered by transdermal patch
What are the clinical features of isosorbide mononitrate?
- longer-acting than GTN (t1/2 4 hours) as resistant to first past metabolism (note: DInitrate is NOT)
- Orally for prophylaxis of angina
What are unwanted effects of organic nitrates? (4)
- Repeated usage can result in diminished effect (tolerance)
- Postural hypotension
- Headaches
- Formation of methaemoglobin
What is the role of endothelium in vascular smooth muscle tone with regards to Endothelin? (4 + extra info)
- Enchanced gene expression from vasoconstrive agents (e.g. adrenaline, angiotensin II, ADH)
- Results in production of endothelin-1
- Activates ETa receptor on vascular smooth muscle cell which activates signalling pathways including Gq/11
- Contraction
(Vasodilators like NO, NPs and sheer stress reduce gene expression and so reduced contraction of smooth muscle)
What agents are used in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension?
Antagonists of ETa receptor e.g. bosentan and ambrisentan
What triggers renin release from the kidneys? (3)
- Increased renal sympathetic nerve activity
- Decreased renal perfusion pressure
- Decreased glomerular filtration
What is angiotensin converting enzyme? What does it do? (2)
- Membrane-bound enzyme on surface on endothelial cells
- Converts inactive angiotensin 1 to active angiotensin II (vasoconstrictor)
- Inactivates bradykinin (vasodilator)
What is an example of an ACE inhibitor?
Lisinopril (if drug name ends in “opril” it is an ACE inhibitor
What do ACE inhibitors do?
Block conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II
What do AT1 receptor antagonists do? Example?
Block the agonist action of angiotensin II at AT1 receptors in a competitive manner e.g. Losartan ends in “sartan”
How does RAAS lead to contraction of vascular smooth muscle and thus increased MABP? (2)
- Activation of smooth muscle AT1 receptors by angiotensin II
- Increased release of noradrenaline from sympathetic nerve fibres
What are the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors? (ACEI) (5)
- Cause venous dilatation (decrease preload)
- Arteriolar dilatation (decrease afterload and TPR) decreasing arterial blood pressure and cardiac load
- Has no effect on cardiac contractility (CO increases as a result of decreased SVR)
- Can cause small fall in MABP
- Reduce direct growth action of angiotensin II to heart and vasculature
Where do ACE inhibitors have the greatest effect?
In angiotensin-sensitive vascular beds (brain, heart, kidney – important because may help maintain perfusion of critical organs)
When does the fall in MABP caused by ACE-I have the greatest effect?
In hypertensive patients (especially if renin secretion is enhanced e.g. as a consequence of diuretic therapy)
What are the adverse effects of ACE-Inhibitors? (2)
- Hypotension (especially in patients treated with diuretics)
- Dry cough
What are angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)?
Have properties similar to ACEIs in clinical practice (but ARBs do not inhibit the metabolism of bradykinin)
When are angiotensin receptor blockers useful?
In patients who find dry cough produced by ACEIs intolerable
When are ACEIs and ARBS contraindicated? (2)
- In pregnancy (foetal toxicity)
* Bilateral renal artery stenosis
What are clinical uses of ACE inhibitors and AT1 receptor antagonists? (3)
- Hypertension (reduced SVR and MABP, decreased vessel hypertrophy)
- Cardiac failure (decrease SVR improving perfusion, increase excretion of Na+ and H2O, regression of left ventricular hypertrophy)
- Following myocardial infarction
What are adrenoceptors?
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) activated by sympathetic transmitter noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and the hormone adrenaline (epinephrine)
What are the structurally and pharmacologically distinct subtypes of adrenoceptor?
- a1 (constrict blood vessels)
- a2
- B1 (increase cardiac rate, force and decrease AV node delay)
- B2 (relax blood vessels)
- B3
What are clinical uses of B-adrenoceptor antagonists? (3)
- Treatment of angina pectoris (but not variant angina)
- Treatment of hypertension (not first line treatment)
- Treatment of compensated heart failure
How are B1-selective B-blockers effective in treating angina pectoris? (3)
- Decrease myocardial O2 requirement (decrease HR, SV, cardiac work and so O2)
- Counter sympathetic activity associated with ischaemic pain
- Increase amount of time spend in diastole (decreased HR) improving perfusion of left ventricle
How does increasing the amount of time spent in diastole improve the perfusion of the left ventricle?
Aortic pressure must exceed ventricular pressure for blood to flow through coronary circulation (so most blood delivered to heart in diastole)
Why are B-blockers used to treat hypertension? (3)
- reduce cardiac output (MABP = CO x TPR)
- reduce renin release from kidney
- CNS action that reduces sympathetic activity
What is the problem with B-blockers reducing cardiac output? How is this overcome?
- CO returns to normal over time
* MABP remains suppressed by ‘resetting’ of TPR to a lower level
How are B-blockers used to treat compensated heart failure?
In combination with other drugs to suppress adverse effects caused by inappropriate activation of sympathetic system and RAAS
(start low, go slow)
What are calcium antagonists?
Prevent opening of L-type channels in excitable tissues in response to depolarisation and so limit intracellular concentrations of Ca++
What is a feature of clinically useful calcium antagonists?
Interact preferentially, or solely, with L-type calcium channels found: 1) in the heart; 2) in smooth muscle and 3) other locations
What do L-type channels mediate? (2)
- Upstroke of AP in SA and AV nodes (Ca++ antagonists reduce rate of AP and conduction through AVN)
- Phase 2 of ventricular AP (Ca++ antagonists reduce force of contraction through blocking Ca++ entry)
What causes contraction in vascular smooth muscle cells?
L-type Ca++ channels allow Ca++ entry into cell that is blocked by Ca++ antagonists