Metabolism

Hepatic Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes:  most drug metabolism in the liverperformed by the hepatic microsomal enzyme system.

Therapeutic Consequences of Drug Metabolism
- Accelerated Renal Drug Excretion:  The most important consequence of drug metabolism is the promotion of renal drug excretion.  Metabolism makes it possible for the kidney to excrete many drugs that it otherwise could not.

- Drug Inactivation
- Increased Therapeutic Action: Metabolism may increase the effectiveness of some drugs.
- Activation of Prodrugs:  A prodrug is a compound that is inactive when administered and made active by conversion in the body.

- Increased or Decreased Toxicity

Factors that influence rate of metabolism:  

- Age:  Hepatic maturation doesn't occur until about a year old.

- Induction of Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes:  Some drugs can cause the rate of metabolism to increase, leading to the need for an increased dosage.  May also influence the rate of metabolism for other drugs taken at the same time, leading to a need for increased dosages of those drugs as well.

- First-Pass Effect:  Hepatic inactivation of certain oral drugs.  Avoided by parentaral administration of drugs that undergo rapid hepatic metabolism.

- Nutritional Status

- Competition between Drugs

CHOLINERGIC DRUGS

Produce actions similar to Acetylcholine (Ach)

Cholinergic Agonists
1 Acetylcholine  2 Methacholine  3. Carbachol 4 Bethnechol

Alkaloids
1.Muscarine 2 Pilocarpine 3. Arecoline

MECHANISM OF ACTION
I Heart- hyperpolarizes the SA node and decreases the rate of diastolic depolarisation. thus the frequcncy of impulse generation is decreased. bradycardia.
2 Blood vessels- vasodilatation
3. Smooth muscles - increased contraction. increased tone. increased peristalsis.
4. Glands- increased sweating. increased lacrimation.
5 Eye- contraction of the circular muscle of iris (miosis).

Nicotinic action
Autonomic ganglia - stimu1ation of sympathetic and parasympathetic system.
Skeletalmuscles - contraction of fibres.
CNS..No effect as it does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier.

Toxic effects
Flushing. sweating.salivation. cramps. belching. involuntary mictuirition. defaccation.

Contraindication
1.. Anginapectoris- decreases the coronary flow.
2 Pepticulcer - increases the gastric secretion
3 Asthma- bronchoconstriction
4 Hyperthyroidisim

Cholinomimetic Alkaloids
Pilocarpine
Prominent muscarinic actions. causes marked sweating. salivation. Increase of secretions. small doses cause fall in BP but higher doses increase in BP. Applied to the eye cause miosis. fall in intraocular tension

Uses
I. .Open angle glaucoma
2. To counteract mydriasis

Anticholinesterase
They inhibit the enzyme cholinestrase and prolong the action of Ach

Reversible 
Physostigamine, Ncostigamine, Pyridostigamine, Ambenonium, Edrophonium, Demecarium

Irreverible
Dyflos. Echothiphate.

Pharmacological Actions
I Ganglia - persistent depolarisation of ganglionic nicotinic receptors.
2 CVS - unprcdictable as Muscarinic-I receptor causes bradycardia but ganglionic stimulation
tachycardia.
3. Skeletal muscles - as Ach is not destroyed and rebinds to the same receptor or it diffuses on to the neighbouring receptors to cause repetitive firing. twitching and fasciculations.

Uses 
I As miotic
a) Glaucoma :  Acute congestive (narrow angle) glaucoma,  Chronic simple (wide angle)  glaucoma
b) Counter act  atropine mydriasis.
2) Post operative paralytic ileus
3) Myasthenia gravis
4) Postoperativedecurarization
5) Cobra bite
6) Belladona poisoning
7) Other drug overdoses

Classification

I) Esters

 1. Formed from an aromatic acid and an amino alcohol.

 2. Examples of ester type local anesthetics:

 Procaine

Chloroprocaine

Tetracaine

Cocaine

Benzocaine- topical applications only

2) Amides

 1. Formed from an aromatic amine and an amino acid.

 2. Examples of amide type local anesthetics:

Articaine

Mepivacaine

Bupivacaine

Prilocaine

Etidocaine

Ropivacaine

Lidocaine

Pramlintide -Amylin mimetics

Mechanism
synthetic analogue of human amylin that acts in conjunction with insulin
↓ release of glucagon
delays gastric emptying

Clinical use

type I and II DM

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.
 

Morphine

Morphine is effective orally, but is much less effective than when given parenterally due to first-pass metabolism in the liver. Metabolism involves glucuronide formation, the product of which is excreted in the urine.

1. Central Nervous System Effects

• Morphine has mixed depressant and stimulatory actions on the CNS.

• Analgesia:

• Dysphoria – Euphoria

- morphine directly stimulates the chemoreceptor trigger zone, but later depresses the vomiting center in the brain stem. This center is outside the blood/brain barrier.

- opiates appear to relieve anxiety

• Morphine causes the release of histamine and abolishes hunger.

- causes the body to feel warm and the face and nose to itch.

• Pupils are constricted.- due to stimulation of the nuclei of the third cranial nerves.

- tolerance does not develop to this effect.

• Cough reflex is inhibited. - this is not a stereospecific effect.

- dextromethorphan will suppress cough but will not produce analgesia.

• Respiration is depressed

- due to a direct effect on the brain stem respiratory center.

- death from narcotic overdose is nearly always due to respiratory arrest.

- the mechanism of respiratory depression involves:

• a reduction in the responsiveness of the brain stem respiratory centers to an increase in pCO₂.

• depression of brain stem centers that regulate respiratory rhythm.

- hypoxic stimulation of respiration is less affected and O2 administration can produce apnea.

2. Cardiovascular Effects

• Postural orthostatic hypotension.- due primarily to peripheral vasodilation, which may be due in part to histamine release.

• Cerebral circulation is also indirectly influenced by increased pCO2, which leads to cerebral vasodilation and increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure.

• In congestive heart failure, morphine decreases the left ventricular workload and myocardial oxygen demand.

3. Endocrine Effects

• Increases prolactin secretion

• Increases vasopressin (ADH) secretion

• Decreases pituitary gonadotropin (LH & FSH) secretion.

• Decreases stress induced ACTH secretion.

4. Gastrointestinal Tract Effects

• Constipation (tolerance does not develop to this effect).

• Several of these agents can be used in the treatment of diarrhea.

There is an increase in smooth muscle tone and a decrease in propulsive  contractions.

Adverse Reactions

Generally direct extensions of their pharmacological actions.

1. respiratory depression, apnea

2. nausea and vomiting

3. dizziness, orthostatic hypotension, edema

4. mental clouding, drowsiness

5. constipation, ileus

6. biliary spasm (colic)

7. dry mouth

8. urine retention, urinary hesitancy

9. hypersensitivity reactions (contact dermatitis, urticaria)

Precautions

1. respiratory depression, particularly in the newborn

3. orthostatic hypotension

4. histamine release (asthma, shock)

5. drug interactions (other CNS depressants)

6. tolerance:

- analgesia, euphoria, nausea and vomiting, respiratory depression

7. physical dependence (psychological & physiological)