Vasodilators Flashcards
Therapeutic uses
Treatment of hypertension (dilation or arteries and veins).
Treatment of angina pectoralis.
Angina pectoralis
Chest pain due to myocardial ischemia. Build up of metabolites (adenosine, CO2, potassium, lactate) activates sensory nerves. Not a disease itself. Ischemia due to increased myocardial O2 demand not being met, and decreased coronary blood flow. 3 types of angina 1. Stable angina - most common 2. Unstable angina 3. Varient angina - least common.
Stable angina
Most common
Attacks predictable - exercise, stress.
Myocardial O2 demand not met.
Involvement of chronic occlusive coronary artery disease - use of cholesterol lowering drugs and statins for secondary prevention.
Unstable angina
Attacks unpredictable
Coronary artery occlusion due to platelet adhesion to atherosclerotic plaque
Low dose aspirin and other anti-platelet drugs used as secondary treatment.
Varient angina
Least common
Attacks unpredictable
Coronary artery occlusion by vasospasm.
Dilatation of coronary arteries
May be valuble to prevent vasospasm in varient angina, but not other forms as may cause coronary steal.
Badly named - dilation takes place in normal vessels, delivering even more blood to already well perfused areas but dilation cannot occur in diseased vessels, so even less blood is delivered to the poorly perfused areas they serve due to a drop in flow pressure.
Major strategy in all forms of angina is to reduce myocardial oxygen demand.
Acheived by drugs acting directly on the heart (beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, If channel blockers).
Achieved indirectly by vasodilators - dilation of arteries (decreases TPR and afterload), dilation of veins (defreases preload and ventricular strech, therefore decreases force of contraction)
Nitrovasodilators
Most commonly used anti-anginals. Glycerol trinitrate Amyl nitrate Isosorbide dinitrate/mononitrate Sodium nitroprusside
Act by -
Venous dilation primarily, arterial dilation at high concentrations.
Venous dilation decreases preload (venous return) therefore decreasing myocardial work and thus myocardial oxygen demand falls.
Used in all forms and angjna, no risk of coronary artery dilation.
All nitrovasodilators are prodrugs.
The active agent is NO
All nitrovasodilators are lipophillic therefore readily enter smooth muscle cells.
NO is released from parent molecule by reductive processes - reduction by enzymes (CYP450, aldehyde dehydrogenase,glutathione-5-transferase) and thiols (L-cysteine,glutathione)
Glycerol trinitrate
Rapid onset, short duration of action.
Sublingual, not orally active.
Used for prophylaxis in stable angina (ie taken before exercise), and relief of ongoing anginal attack.
Common siee effect of headaches due to dilatation of cerebral arteries.
Amyl nitrate
Poppers
Volitile liquid, vials opened and inhaled.
Treatment for cyanide poisoning
Rapid onset, short duration of action.
Isosorbide dinitrate/mononitrate
Taken orally
Slower onset, more prolonged duration of action.
Used for sustained prophylaxis in all forms of angina.
Sodium nitroprusside
Not orally active
Notused in angina.
Given IV in severe hypertensive emergency.
Tolerance of nitrovasodilators
Become ineffective on continuous use.
Tolerance can be reversed by drug free wash-out period.
Tolerance is related to limited capacity to metabolise parent drug into NO or destruction of NO by superoxide anion.
NO activates soluble guanylate cyclase
Soluble guanylate cyclase is a cytoplasmic enzyme.
The receptor on GC contains a ferrous haem moiety, analogous to oxygen binding site of haemoglobin.
NO binds to haem receptor causing enzyme activation, this increases conversion of GTP to cGMP.
Endogenous stimulation of GC
Endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF) is NO.
Neurotransmitter of NANC nerves is NO.
NO is present in GI, reproductive and respiratory tracts.
It is also responsible for neurogenic vasodilator innervation of cerebral and penile arteries.
