immunopharmacology

Question 1

what are the two groups of immunosupressing drugs?

Answer 1

specific and non-specific

Question 2

what are the types of non-specific immunosupressive drugs?

Answer 2

alkylating agents
inhibitors of neucleotide synthesis
false metabolites

Question 3

name a drugs thats an alkylating agent?

Answer 3

cyclophosphamide

Question 4

name a drug thats a false metabolite?

Answer 4

azathioprine

Question 5

name a drug thats an inhibitor of neucleotide synthesis?

Answer 5

mycophenolic acid

Question 6

what is good about specific immunosupression compared to non-specific immunosupression?

Answer 6

its got less severe side effects as its only targeting specific cells

Question 7

what is the short term target of anti-lymphocyte globulin?

Answer 7

small long-lived peripheral lymphocytes circulating between the blood and the lymphnode (antigen-recognising cells)

Question 8

what is the long term target of anti-lymphocyte globulin?

Answer 8

thymus-dependant lymphocytes from the ‘cuffs’ of lymphoid folicles depleted as they participate in recirculating pool

Question 9

what is the mechanism of action of anti-lymphocyte globulin?

Answer 9

they bind to the surface of antigen-recongising T-cells
they are cytotoxic by serum complement

Question 10

what are the cellular concequences of anti-lymphocyte globulin?

Answer 10

they specifically destroy T cells and consequently cause specific impairment of delayed type hypersensitivity and cellular immunity but the antibody response remains intact

Question 11

what are the side effects of anti-lymphocyte globulin due to?

Answer 11

theyre due to foreign protein injection (i.e. they aquire anti-antibodies) and it causes serum sickness from antigen-antibody precipitates in the kidney and lymphoma at the injection site

Question 12

what is the limitation with using anti-lymphocyte globulin?

Answer 12

eventually the treatment becomes ineffective

Question 13

what are macrolide immunosupressants?

Answer 13

theyre a group of drugs that have macrolide-like structure and potent immunosuppressive activity and is used for the treatment of transplant rejection

Question 14

what is the mechanism of action for macrolide drugs?

Answer 14

theyre potent inhibitors of protein synthesis by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit of bacteria at the peptidyl transferase centre formed by 235 rRNA