NEET MDS Lessons
Pharmacology
Erythromycin
used for people who have an allergy to penicillins. For respiratory tract infections, it has better coverage of atypical organisms, including mycoplasma. It is also used to treat outbreaks of chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea.
Erythromycin is produced from a strain of the actinomyces Saccaropolyspora erythraea, formerly known as Streptomyces erythraeus.
Mechanism of action Erythromycin prevents bacteria from growing, by interfering with their protein synthesis. Erythromycin binds to the subunit 50S of the bacterial ribosome, and thus inhibits the translocation of peptides.
Erythromycin is easily inactivated by gastric acids, therefore all orally administered formulations are given as either enteric coated or as more stable salts or esters. Erythromycin is very rapidly absorbed, and diffused into most tissues and phagocytes. Due to the high concentration in phagocytes, erythromycin is actively transported to the site of infection, where during active phagocytosis, large concentrations of erythromycin are released.
Most of erythromycin is metabolised by demethylation in the liver. Its main route elimination route is in the bile, and a small portion in the urine.
Erythromycin's half-life is 1.5 hours.
Side-effects. More serious side-effects, such as reversible deafness are rare. Cholestatic jaundice, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrosis are some other rare side effects that may occur.
Contraindications Earlier case reports on sudden death prompted a study on a large cohort that confirmed a link between erythromycin, ventricular tachycardia and sudden cardiac death in patients also taking drugs that prolong the metabolism of erythromycin (like verapamil or diltiazem)
erythromycin should not be administered in patients using these drugs, or drugs that also prolong the QT time.
Agonist, Antagonist, and Partial Agonists
Agonists: molecules that activate receptors. A drug that mimics the body's own regulatory processes.
Antagonists: produce their effects by preventing receptors activation by endogenous regulatory molecules and drugs. Block activation of receptors by agonists.
Noncompetive Antagonist: Bind irreversibly to receptors, and reduce the maximal response that an agonist can elicit.
Competitive Antagonist: Bind reversibly to receptors, competing with agonists for binding sites.
Partial Agonists: Have moderate intrinsic activity, the maximal effect that a partial agonist can produce is lower than that of a full agonist. Act as antagonists as well as agonists.
Neurotransmitters can be classified into:
1. Biogenic amines:
ACh, NA, DA, 5-HT, Histamine
2. Amino acids:
Excitatory (glutamate & asparate)
Inhibitory (GABA& glycine)
3. Others:
Adenosine, melatonin
GLP-1 analogs
Exenatide
Mechanism
GLP-1 is an incretin released from the small intestine that aids glucose-dependent insulin secretion
basis for drug mechanism is the observation that more insulin secreted with oral glucose load compared to IV
Exenatide is a GLP-1 agonist
↑ insulin
↓ glucagon release
the class of dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitors ↓ degradation of endogenous GLP-1
e.g.) sitagliptin, -gliptins
Clinical use
type II DM
Toxicity
nausea, vomiting
pancreatitis
hypoglycemia
if given with sulfonylureas
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors(SNRIs)
e.g. venlafaxine and duloxetine
- Inhibit the reuptake of both 5-HT and norepinephrine
- Has a more favourable adverse effect profile than TCAs
Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor
e.g. bupropion, reboxetine
Monoamine receptor antagonists
e.g. mirtazapine, trazodone, mianserin
Specific Agents
Hydralazine [orally effective]
MOA: Not completely understood. Seems to be partially dependent on the release of EDRF and perhaps partially due to K+-channel activation
- in clinical doses action is manifest primarily on vascular smooth muscle (non-vascular muscle is not much affected).
- Re: Metabolism & Excretion. In cases of renal failure the plasma half life may be substantially increased (4-5 fold). One mode of metabolism is
via N-Acetylation (problem of slow acetylators)
Side Effects
- those typical of vasodilation = headache, nasal congestion, tachycardia etc.
- chronic treatment with high doses > 200 mg/day may induce a rheumatoid-like state which may resemble lupus erythematosus.
Minoxidil (Loniten) [orally effective]
MOA: K+-channel agonist
- very effective antihypertensive. Used primarily to treat life-threatening hypertension or hypertension resistant to other agents.
Side effects - growth of hair
Diazoxide (Hyperstat) [used only IV]
MOA: K+-channel agonist
- Administered by rapid IV injection; action appearing after 3-5 min; action may last from 4 to 12 hours.
Nitroprusside (Nipride) [used only IV]
MOA: increase in cGMP
- unlike the other vasodilators, venous tone is substantially reduced by nitroprusside.
- rapid onset of action (.30 sec); administered as an IV-infusion.
- particularly useful for hypertension associated with left ventricular failure.
Methadone
Pharmacology and analgesic potency similar to morphine.
- Very effective following oral administration.
- Longer duration of action than morphine due to plasma protein binding (t1/2 approximately 25 hrs).
- Used in methadone maintenance programs for drug addicts and for opiate withdrawal. Opiate withdrawal is more prolonged but is less intense than it is following morphine or heroin.