NEET MDS Lessons
Pharmacology
Sympatholytics (Antiadrenergic Agents)
PHENOXYBENZAMINE
It is a potent alpha-adrenergic blocking agent
It effectively prevents the responses mediated by alpha receptors and diastolic blood pressure tends to decrease.
It interferes with the reflex adjustment of blood pressure and produces postural hypotension.
It increases the cardiac output and decreases the total peripheral resistance.
It is used in the management of pheochromocytoma and also to treat peripheral vasospastic conditions e.g. Raynaud’s disease and shock syndrome.
Phentolamine, another alpha blocker is exclusively used for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma and for the prevention of abrupt rise in blood pressure during surgical removal of adrenal medulla tumors.
ERGOT ALKALOIDS
Ergotamine is an important alkaloid that possesses both vasoconstrictor and alpha-receptor blocking activity. Both ergotamine and dihydroergotamine are used in the treatment of migraine.
METHYSERGIDE
It is a 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonist ). It is effective in preventing an attack of migraine.
SUMATRIPTAN
It is a potent selective 5-HT 1D receptor agonist used in the treatment of migraine.
PRAZOSIN
It is an piperazinyl quinazoline effective in the management of hypertension. It is highly selective for α1 receptors. It also reduces the venous return and cardiac output. It is used in essential hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy and in Raynaud’s syndrome.
Prazosin lowers blood pressure in human beings by relaxing both veins and resistance vessels but it dilates arterioles more than veins.
TERAZOSIN
It is similar to prazosin but has higher bioavailability and longer plasma t½
DOXAZOSIN
It is another potent and selective α1 adrenoceptor antagonist and quinazoline derivative.
It’s antihypertensive effect is produced by a reduction in smooth muscle tone of peripheral vascular beds.
TAMSULOSIN
It is uroselective α1A blocker and has been found effective in improving BPH symptoms.
Other drugs used for erectile dysfunction
Sildenafil: It is orally active selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase type 5 useful in treatment of erectile dysfunction.
DIAGNOSIS
Affective disorders:
I. unipolar depression – depression alone
bipolar affective disorder – alternating II. bipolar affective disorder – alternating depression and mania
Diagnosis is based on
At least five of the following for 2 weeks
I. Depressed mood most of the day
II. Markedly diminished interest or pleasureII. Markedly diminished interest or pleasure
III. Significant weight loss or weight
IV. Insomnia or hypersomnia
V. Psychomotor agitation or retardation
VI. Fatigue or loss of energy
VII. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
VIII. Diminished ability to think or concentrate,
IX. Recurrent thoughts of death
Underlying biological basis for depression is a deficiency of the monoamine neurotransmitters norepinephrine and/or serotonin in the brain.
Ketoconazole
synthetic antifungal drug
used for infections such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis (yeast infection or thrush), jock itch.
Ketoconazole is used to treat eumycetoma, the fungal form of mycetoma.
MOA: Ketoconazole is imidazole structured, and interferes with the fungal synthesis of ergosterol, the main constituent of cell membranes, as well as certain enzymes. It is specific for fungi, as mammalian cell membranes contain no ergosterol.
Sensitive fungi Ketoconazole inhibits growth of dermatophytes and yeast species (such as Candida albicans).
Doxycycline
Commonly prescribed for infections and to treat acne. treat urinary tract infections, gum disease, and other bacterial infections such as gonorrhea and chlamydia., as a prophylactic treatment for infection by Bacillus anthracis (anthrax). It is also effective against Yersinia pestis and malaria.
Ibuprofen
used to relieve the symptoms of arthritis, primary dysmenorrhoea, fever; and as an analgesic, especially where there is an inflammatory component.
Indications
rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, primary dysmenorrhoea
fever, relief of acute and/or chronic pain states in which there is an inflammatory component
MOA
inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX); thus inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis.
Sedative-Hypnotic Drugs
Sedative drug is the drug that reduce anxiety (anxiolytic) and produce sedation and referred to as minor tranquillisers.
Hypnotic drug is the drug that induce sleep
Effects: make you sleepy; general CNS depressants
Uses: sedative-hypnotic (insomnia ), anxiolytic (anxiety, panic, obsessive compulsive, phobias), muscle relaxant (spasticity, dystonias), anticonvulsant (absence, status epilepticus, generalized seizures—rapid tolerance develops), others (pre-operative medication and endoscopic procedures, withdrawal from chronic use of ethanol or other CNS depressants)
1- For panic disorder alprazolam is effective.
2- muscle disorder: (reduction of muscle tone and coordination) diazepam is useful in treatment of skeletal muscle spasm e.g. muscle strain and spasticity of degenerative muscle diseases.
3-epilepsy: by increasing seizure threshold.
Clonazepam is useful in chronic treatment of epilepsy while diazepam is drug of choice in status epilepticus.
4-sleep disorder: Three BDZs are effective hypnotic agents; long acting flurazepam, intermediate acting temazepam and short
acting triazolam. They decrease the time taken to get to sleep They increase the total duration of sleep
5-control of alcohol withdrawals symptoms include diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, clorazepate and oxazepam.
6-in anesthesia: as preanesthetic amnesic agent (also in cardioversion) and as a component of balanced anesthesia
Flurazepam significantly reduce both sleep induction time and numbers of awakenings and increase duration of sleep and little rebound insomnia. It may cause daytime sedation.
Temazepam useful in patients who experience frequent awakening, peak sedative effect occur 2-3 hr. after an oral dose.
Triazolam used to induce sleep in recurring insomnia and in individuals have difficulty in going to sleep, tolerance develop within few days and withdrawals result in rebound insomnia therefore the drug used intermittently.
Drugs and their actions
1. Benzodiazepines: enhance the effect of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) at GABA receptors on chloride channels. This increases chloride channel conductance in the brain (GABA A A receptors are ion channel receptors).
2. Barbiturates: enhance the effect of GABA on the chloride channel but also increase chloride channel conductance independently of GABA, especially at high doses
3. Zolpidem and zaleplon: work in a similar manner to benzodiazepines but do so only at the benzodiazepine (BZ1) receptor type. (Both BZ1and BZ2 are located on chloride channels.)
4. Chloral hydrate: probably similar action to barbiturates.
5. Buspirone: partial agonist at a specific serotonin receptor (5-HT1A).
6. Other sedatives (e.g., mephenesin, meprobamate, methocarbamol, carisoprodol, cyclobenzaprine):
mechanisms not well-described. Several mechanisms may be involved.
7. Baclofen: stimulates GABA linked to the G protein, Gi , resulting in an increase in K + conductance and a decrease in Ca2+ conductance. (Other drugs mentioned above do not bind to the GABA B receptor.)
8. Antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine): block H1 histamine receptors. Doing so in the CNS leads to sedation.
9. Ethyl alcohol: its several actions include a likely effect on the chloride channel.
PSEUDOEPHEDRINE
Pseudoephedrine appears to have less pressor activity and weaker central nervous system effects than ephedrine. It has agonist activity at both β1 and β2 adrenoceptors, leading to increased cardiac output and relaxation of bronchial smooth muscle.
Pseudoephedrine is rapidly absorbed throughout the body. It is eliminated largely unchanged in urine by N-demethylation.
It is indicated in symptomatic relief from stuffed nose, respiratory tract congestion, bronchospasm associated with asthma, bronchitis and other similar disorders.