Pharmacology Lecture 14_Fungi, Parisites, and Prions Flashcards
What are the 4 ways to diagnose a fungal infection?
- (1) direct microscopic examination
- (2) culture of the organism (Sabouraud’s agar which is only used to culture fungi)
- (3) DNA probe tests
- (4) serologic tests
What are the 5 prion diseases typical to humans?
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)
- Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD)
- Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Syndrome
- Fatal Familial Insomnia
- Kuru
What are the 6 most medically significant parasites?
- Plasmodium
- Leishmania
- Trypanosoma
- enteric protozoa (Giardia, Entamoeba, and Cryptosporidium)
- Schistosoma
- Filariae (roundworms)
What are the pathogenic mechanisiums of helminths
- Toxic parasitic products
- Mechanical tissue damage
- Immunopathology (host immune response damages surrounding tissues)
Which protazoa is the causitive agent of malaria
Plasmodium
What are 4 ways to transfer protozoic infections?
Contaminated food/water, sexual activity, Bite of a vector, through the placenta
How do Polyenes (Nystatin & Amphotericin B) fight fungal infections
They distupt the cell membrane by binding ergosterol
Giardia, Leishmania, Trichomonas, and Trypanosoma are what kind of parisites?
extracellular protozoic parasites
Why is treating a fungal infection difficult?
Because fungi are eukaryotic and most medications that treat them at least minamaly attack host cells
How do Azoles (such as miconazole) and Allylamines (such as terbinafine) fight fungal infections?
They inhibit the synthesis of ergosterols
How do Pyrimidines (such as flucytosine) fight fungal infections?
Inhibiting nucleic acid synthesis
What are three of the bodies defences against fungal infections?
Skin, mucus membrane, and alveolar macrophages
What is unique about fungi cell walls relative to bacteria
fungi cell walls are composed of chitin rather than peptedoglycan. The cell membrane also contains ergosterol
What are the two main types of parasites how do they differ?
Protozoa - single cell
Metazoa (helminths) - multicellular
What are the three types of fungal diseases?
Infections, Toxins, and Allergies
