Unit 5: Pharmacology 2 Flashcards
What is conduction velocity, and how is it affected by myelination and axon diameter?
Conduction velocity = measure of HOW FAST an axon transmits the AP
Increased by:
- myelination (AP skips along the nodes of Ranvier – saltatory conduction)
- large fiber diameter
List the 3 different nerve fiber types
Compare and contrast them in terms of myelination, function, diameter, conduction velocity, and block onet
Discuss differential blockade using epidural bupivacaine as an example
Differential blockade is the idea that some fiber types are blocked sooner (easier) than others
- at lower concentrations, epidural bupivacaine provides analgesia while sparing motor function – as concentration is increases, it anesthetizes more resistant nerve types such as those that control motor function and proprioception
- this is the basis for “walking” epidural w/ a low concentration of bupivacaine
What concept is the equivalent of an ED50 for local anesthetics?
Minimum effective concentration (Cm) – measure that quantifies the concentration of LA that is required to block conduction
- fibers that are more easily blocked have a lower Cm
- fibers that are more resistant to blockade have a higher Cm
Rank the nerve fiber types according to their local anesthetics in vivo (most to least sensitive)
B-fibers > C fibers > Small diameter A fibers (gamma & delta) > Large diameter A fibers (alpha & beta)
What are the 3 possible configurations of the voltage-gated sodium channel?
Resting: channel is closed and able to be opened if neuron depolarizes
Active: channel is open, Na+ is moving along its concentration gradient into the neuron
Inactive: channel is closed and unable to be opened (it is refractory)
How and when do local anesthetics bind to voltage-gated sodium channel?
They can only bind in their ACTIVE (open) and INACTIVE (closed refractory)
- DO NOT bind in resting state
- Use dependent or phasic blockade = the more frequently the nerve is depolarized and the voltage-gated sodium channels open, the more time available for LA binding to occur
What is an action potential and how does it depolarize a nerve?
AP = a temporary change in transmembrane potential followed by a return to transmembrane potential
- for a neuron to depolarize, sodium or calcium must enter the cell (makes inside more positive)
- once the threshold potential occurs, the cell depolarizes and propagates and AP
- depolarization is an all or none phenomenon – it either depolarizes or doesn’t
- AP only travels one direction – because Na+ open in the upstream portion of the neuron are in the closed/inactive state
What happens when a nerve repolarizes?
Repolarization is the removal of positive charges from inside the cell – accomplished by removing potassium
How do local anesthetics affect neuronal depolarization?
LA bind to alpha-subunit on the inside of the sodium channel when it’s in either the active or inactive state
- when a critical number of sodium channels are blocked, there isn’t enough open channels for sodium to enter the cell in sufficient quantity
- cell can’t depolarize and the AP can’t propagate – whatever modality that nerve services (pain, movement, etc) is blocked
**LA do NOT affect resting membrane potential or threshold potential
Discuss the role of ionization with respect to local anesthetics
Since LA are weak bases with pKa values higher than 7.4 – >50% of the LA will exist as the ionized, conjugate acid after injection
-the non-ionized fraction diffuses into the nerve through the lipid-rich axolemma – once inside the neuron the law of mass action promotes re-equilibration of charged and uncharged species – charged species binds to the alpha-subunit on the interior of the voltage gated sodium channel
What are the 3 building blocks of the local anesthetic molecule? How does each one affect the PK/PD profile of the molecule?
Benzene Ring:
- lipophilic
- permits diffusion through lipid bilayers
Intermediate Chain:
- ester or amide
- metabolism
- allergic potential
Tertiary amine:
- hydrophilic
- accepts proton
- makes molecule a weak base
How can you use the drug name to determine if it’s an ester or amide?
Ester = only has one “i” in the name
(Benzocaine, Cocaine, Chloroprocaine, Procaine, Tetracaine)
Amide = has two “i” in the name
(Bupivacaine, Lidocaine, Mepivacaine, Ropivacaine)
How are ester and amide local anesthetics metabolized? Which local anesthetic participates in both metabolic pathways?
Ester Metabolism = Pseudocholinesterase
Amide Metabolism = Hepatic carboxylesterase/P450
*Cocaine is an exception – it is an ester but is metabolized by pseudocholinesterase & the liver
Discuss local anesthetic allergy and cross sensitivity
True allergy is rare – more common with esters
-esters are derivatives of PABA which is an immunogenic molecule capable of causing an allergic reaction (reason there is cross-sensitivity within the class)
Allergy to amides is incredibly rare
*no cross-sensitivity between esters and amides
What determines local anesthetic onset of action? Which drug disobeys this rule and why?
pKa determines the onset of action
- if pKa is closer to pH, onset is faster
- if pKa is further from pH, onset is slower
Chloroprocaine disobeys this rule:
- it has a high pKa which suggests slow onset
- at the same time it is not very potent so we give it in a higher concentration (usually 3% solution)
- giving more molecules creates a mass effect that explains why chloroprocaine has a rapid onset of action even with its high pKa
What determines local anesthetic potency?
Lipid solubility = primary determinant of potency
- the more lipid soluble, the easier it is to traverse the neuronal membrane
- because more drug enters the neuron, there will be more available to bind to the receptor
An intrinsic vasodilating effect = secondary determinant of potency
- vasodilation increases uptake into systemic circulation (reduces amount of LA available to anesthetize the nerve)
What factors determine local anesthetic duration of action?
Protein Binding = primary determinant of duration of action
- some molecules penetrate epineurium after injection, some diffuse away into the systemic circulation, and some bind to tissue proteins
- molecules that bind to proteins serve as a reservoir that extends the DOA
Lipid Solubility and Intrinsic Vasodilating Activity = secondary determinants of duration of action
- higher degree of lipid solubility also correlates w/ a longer duration of action
- a drug with intrinsic vasodilating activity will increase its rate of vascular uptake and shorten its duration of action
Discuss the intrinsic vasodilating effects of local anesthetics. Which one has the opposite effect?
Most LA cause some degree of vasodilation – those with greater degree of intrinsic vasodilating effects (lidocaine) undergo a faster rate of vascular uptake preventing some of the administered dose from accessing the nerve
-addition of vasoconstrictor can prolong the DOA
**Cocaine is unique – it always causes vasoconstriction because it inhibits NE reuptake in the sympathetic nerve endings in vascular smooth muscle
Rank the amide local anesthetics according to pKa (highest to lowest)
Bupivacaine = 8.1 Levo-Bupivacaine = 8.1 Ropivacaine = 8.1 Lidocaine = 7.9 Prilocaine = 7.9 Mepivacaine = 7.6
*as pKa gets further away from physiologic pH – the degree of ionization increases
Rank the ester local anesthetics according to pKa (highest to lowest)
Procaine = 8.9 Chloroprocaine = 8.7 Tetracaine = 8.5
What five factors govern the uptake and plasma concentration of local anesthetics?
- Site of injection
- Tissue blood flow
- Physiochemical properties of local anesthetics
- Metabolism
- Addition of vasoconstrictor
Rank injection sites to the corresponding plasma concentrations of local anesthetics
Most Vascular & Highest Cp
- IV
- Tracheal
- Interpleural
- Intercostal
- Caudal
- Epidural
- Brachial plexus
- Femoral
- Sciatic
- Subcutaneous
Least Vascular & Lowest Cp
What is the maximum dose for each amide local anesthetic? (weight based and max total dose)
- Levobupivacaine
- Bupivacaine
- Bupivacaine + Epi
- Ropivacaine
- Lidocaine
- Lidocaine + Epi
- Mepivacaine
- Prilocaine
- Levobupivacaine = 2 mg/kg or 150 mg
- Bupivacaine = 2.5 mg/kg or 175 mg
- Bupivacaine + Epi = 3 mg/kg or 200 mg
- Ropivacaine = 3 mg/kg or 200 mg
- Lidocaine = 4.5 mg/kg or 300 mg
- Lidocaine + Epi = 7 mg/kg or 500 mg
- Mepivacaine = 7 mg/kg or 400 mg
- Prilocaine = 8 mg/kg or 500 mg if <70kg or 600 mg if >70kg