NEET MDS Lessons
Pharmacology
Antipsychotic Drugs
A. Neuroleptics: antipsychotics; refers to ability of drugs to suppress motor activity and emotional expression (e.g., chlorpromazine shuffle)
Uses: primarily to treat symptoms of schizophrenia (thought disorder); also for psychoses (include drug-induced from amphetamine and cocaine), agitated states
Psychosis: variety of mental disorders (e.g., impaired perceptions, cognition, inappropriate or ↓ affect or mood)
Examples: dementias (Alzheimer’s), bipolar affective disorder (manic-depressive)
B. Schizophrenia: 1% world-wide incidence (independent of time, culture, geography, politics); early onset (adolescence/young adulthood), life-long and progressive; treatment effective in ~ 50% (relieve symptoms but don’t cure)
Symptoms: antipsychotics control positive symptoms better than negative
a. Positive: exaggerated/distorted normal function; commonly have hallucinations (auditory) and delusions (grandeur; paranoid delusions particularly prevalent; the most prevalent delusion is that thoughts are broadcast to world or thoughts/feelings are imposed by an external force)
b. Negative: loss of normal function; see social withdrawal, blunted affect (emotions), ↓ speech and thought, loss of energy, inability to experience pleasure
Etiology: pathogenesis unkown but see biochemical (↑ dopamine receptors), structural (enlarged cerebral ventricles, cortical atrophy, ↓ volume of basal ganglia), functional (↓ cerebral blood flow, ↓ glucose utilization in prefrontal cortex), and genetic abnormalities (genetic predisposition, may involve multiple genes; important)
Dopamine hypothesis: schizo symptoms due to abnormal ↑ in dopamine receptor activity; evidenced by
i. Correlation between potency and dopamine receptor antagonist binding: high correlation between therapeutic potency and their affinity for binding to D2 receptor, low correlation between potency and binding to D1 receptor)
ii. Drugs that ↑ dopamine transmission can enhance schizophrenia or produce schizophrenic symptoms:
A) L-DOPA: ↑ dopamine synthesis
B) Chronic amphetamine use: releases dopamine
C) Apomorphine: dopamine agonist
iii. Dopamine receptors ↑ in brains of schizophrenics: postmortem brains, positron emission tomography
Dopamine pathways: don’t need to know details below; know that overactivity of dopamine neurons in mesolimbic and mesolimbocortical pathways → schizo symptoms
i. Dorsal mesostriatal (nigrostriatal): substantia nigra to striatum; controls motor function
ii. Ventral mesostriatal (mesolimbic): ventral tegmentum to nucleus accumbens; controls behavior/emotion; abnormally active in schizophrenia
iii. Mesolimbocortical: ventral tegmentum to cortex and limbic structures; controls behavior and emotion; activity may be ↑ in schizophrenia
iv. Tuberohypophyseal: hypothalamus to pituitary; inhibits prolactin secretion; important pathway to understand side effects
Antipsychotic drugs: non-compliance is major reason for therapeutic failure
1. Goals: prevent symptoms, improve quality of life, minimize side effects
2. Prototypical drugs: chlorpromazine (phenothiazine derivative) and haloperidol (butyrophenone derivative)
a. Provide symptomatic relief in 70%; delayed onset of action (4-8 weeks) and don’t know why (maybe from ↓ firing of dopamine neurons that project to meso-limbic and cortical regions)
3. Older drugs: equally efficacious in treating schizophrenia; no abuse potential, little physical dependence; dysphoria in normal individuals; high therapeutic indexes (20-1000)
Classification:
i. Phenothiazines: 1st effective antipsychotics; chlorpromazine and thioridazine
ii. Thioxanthines: less potent; thithixene
iii. Butyrophenones: most widely used; haloperidol
Side effects: many (so known as dirty drugs); block several NT receptors (adrenergic, cholindergic, histamine, dopamine, serotonin) and D2 receptors in other pathways
i. Autonomic: block muscarinic receptor (dry mouth, urinary retention, memory impairment), α-adrenoceptor (postural hypotension, reflex tachycardia)
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: collapse of ANS; fever, diaphoresis, CV instability; incidence 1-2% of patients (fatal in 10%); need immediate treatment (bromocriptine- dopamine agonist)
ii. Central: block DA receptor (striatum; have parkinsonian effects like bradykinesia/tremor/muscle rigidity, dystonias like neck/facial spasms, and akathisia—subject to motor restlessness), dopamine receptor (pituitary; have ↑ prolactin release, breast enlargement, galactorrhea, amenorrhea), histamine receptor (sedation)
DA receptor upregulation (supersensitivity): occurs after several months/years; see tardive dyskinesias (involuntary orofacial movements)
Drug interactions: induces hepatic metabolizing enzymes (↑ drug metabolism), potentiate CNS depressant effects (analgesics, general anesthetics, CNS depressants), D2 antagonists block therapeutic effects of L-DOPA used to treat Parkinson’s
Toxicity: high therapeutic indexes; acute toxicity seen only at very high doses (hypotension, hyper/hypothermia, seizures, coma, ventricular tachycardia)
Mechanism of action: D2 receptor antagonists, efficacy ↑ with ↑ potency at D2 receptor
Newer drugs: include clozapine (dibenzodiazepine; has preferential affinity for D4 receptors, low affinity for D2 receptors), risperidone (benzisoxazole), olanzapine (thienobenzodiazepine)
Advantages over older drugs: low incidence of agranulocytosis (leucopenia; exception is clozapine), very low incidence of motor disturbances (extrapyramidal signs; may be due to low affinity for D2 receptors), no prolactin elevation
Side effects: DA receptor upregulation (supersensitivity) occurs after several months/years; may → tardive diskinesias
Effects and Toxic Actions on Organ Systems
1. Local anesthetics (dose dependent) interfere with transmission in any excitable tissue (e.g. CNS and CVS).
2. CNS effects
a. Central neurons very sensitive.
b. Excitatory-dizziness, visual and auditory disturbances, apprehension, disorientation and muscle twitching more common with ester type agents.
c. Depression manifested as slurred speech, drowsiness and unconsciousness more common with amide type agents (e.g. lidocaine).
d. Higher concentrations of local anesthetic may eventually produce tonic-clonic[grand mal] convulsions.
e. Very large doses may produce respiratory depression which can be fatal. Artificial respiration may be life-saving.
3.CVS effects
a. Local anesthetics have direct action on the myocardium and peripheral vasculature by closing the sodium channel, thereby limiting the inward flux of sodium ions.
b. Myocardium usually depressed both in rate and force of contraction. Depression of ectopic pacemakers useful in treating cardiac arrhythmias.
c. Concentrations employed clinically usually cause vasodilation in area of injection.
d. Vasoconstrictors such as epinephrine may counteract these effects on myocardium and vasculature.
4. Local Tissue Responses
a. Occasionally focal necrosis in skeletal muscle at injection site, decreased cell motility and delayed wound healing.
b. Tissue hypoxia may be produced by action of excessive amounts of vasoconstrictors.
Warfarin (Coumadin):
- The most common oral anticoagulant.
- It is only active in vivo.
- Warfarin is almost completely bound to plasma proteins. -96% to 98% bound.
- Warfarin is metabolized by the liver and excreted in the urine.
- Coumarin anticoagulants pass the placental barrier and are secreted into the maternal milk.
- Newborn infants are more sensitive to oral anticoagulants than are adults because of lower vitamin K levels and lower rates of metabolism.
- Bleeding is the most common side effect and occurs most often from the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and the genitourinary tract.
Oral anticoagulants are contraindicated in:
• Conditions where active bleeding must be avoided, Vitamin K deficiency and severe
hepatic or renal disease, and where intensive salicylate therapy is required.
Mefenamic acid
Analgesic, anti‐inflammatory properties less effective than aspirin
Short half‐lives, should not be used for longer than one week and never in pregnancy and in children.
Enhances oral anticoagulants
Used to treat pain, including menstrual pain. It decreases inflammation (swelling) and uterine contractions.
PHARYNGEAL DEMULCENTS
Administered in the form of lozenges, cough drops and cough linctus.
Produce soothing action on throat directly and by increasing the flow of saliva and provide symptomatic relief from dry cough.
EXPECTORANT
Expectorants are the drugs which increase the production of bronchial secretion and reduce its viscosity to facilitate its removal by coughing.
ANTITUSSIVES
They are central cough suppressants and act centrally to raise the threshold of cough centre and inhibit the cough reflex by suppressing the coordinating cough centre in the medulla oblongata.
Codeine - it depresses cough centre but is less constipating and abuse liability is low.
Pholcodeine is similar to codeine in efficacy and is longer acting. It has no analgesic or addicting property.
Noscapine is another opium alkaloid of benzylisoquinoline group. It is used as antitussive with no analgesic and drug abuse or drug dependence property.
Dextromethorphan is a synthetic compound and its dextroisomer is used as antitussive and is as effective as codeine
Pipazethate is another synthetic compound of phenothiazine category used as antitussive with little analgesic and sedative properties.
ANTIHISTAMINICS
They do not act on cough centre but provide relief due to their sedative and anticholinergic action.
BRONCHODILATORS
Bronchodilators are helpful in individuals with cough and bronchoconstriction due to bronchial hyperreactivity. They help by improving the effectiveness of cough in clearing secretions.
Meperidine (Demerol)
Meperidine is a phenylpiperidine and has a number of congeners. It is mostly effective in the CNS and bowel
- Produces analgesia, sedation, euphoria and respiratory depression.
- Less potent than morphine, 80-100 mg meperidine equals 10 mg morphine.
- Shorter duration of action than morphine (2-4 hrs).
- Meperidine has greater excitatory activity than does morphine and toxicity may lead to convulsions.
- Meperidine appears to have some atropine-like activity.
- Does not constrict the pupils to the same extent as morphine.
- Does not cause as much constipation as morphine.
- Spasmogenic effect on GI and biliary tract smooth muscle is less pronounced than that produced by morphine.
- Not an effective antitussive agent.
- In contrast to morphine, meperidine increases the force of oxytocin-induced contractions of the uterus.
- Often the drug of choice during delivery due to its lack of inhibitory effect on uterine contractions and its relatively short duration of action.
- It has serotonergic activity when combined with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, which can produce serotonin toxicity (clonus, hyperreflexia, hyperthermia, and agitation)
Adverse reactions to Meperidine
• Generally resemble a combination of opiate and atropine-like effects.
- respiratory depression, - tremors, - delirium and possible convulsions, - dry mouth
• The presentation of mixed symptoms (stupor and convulsions) is quite common in addicts taking large doses of meperidine.
Sulfonylureas
1st generation
tolbutamide
chlorpropamide
2nd generation
glyburide
glimepiride
glipizide
Mechanism
glucose normally triggers insulin release from pancreatic β cells by increasing intracellular ATP
→ closes K+ channels → depolarization → ↑ Ca2+ influx → insulin release
sulfonylureas mimic action of glucose by closing K+ channels in pancreatic β cells
→ depolarization → ↑ Ca2+ influx → insulin release
its use results in
↓ glucagon release
↑ insulin sensitivity in muscle and liver
Clinical use
type II DM
stimulates release of endogenous insulin
cannot be used in type I DM due to complete lack of islet function
Toxicity
first generation
disulfiram-like effects
especially chlorpropamide
second generation
hypoglycemia
weight gain