Science of Medicines Week 21 Flashcards
(111 cards)
define elimination
the irreversible loss of drug by excretion and/or metabolism
define excretion
the irreversible loss of chemically unchanged drug
Where does excretion mostly happen?
in the kidneys - waste is excreted into the urine
define metabolism
the conversion of a drug into a different chemical product - also called ‘biotransformation’
Where does metabolism mostly occur?
in the liver
What does understanding the elimination of a drug help us to do?
- predict drug concentrations following uptake of a medicine
- predict how liver and renal disease may affect drug concentrations
- predict interactions modifying the elimination of drugs
- predict variability in drug therapy for age, genetic differences in enzymes
What do clearance and volume of distribution determine?
- the concentration that will be achieved after a dose, so the effects and toxicity
- how the concentration of a drug will evolve with time
- the body’s exposure to the drug
What is the 1st definition for clearance?
the proportionality factor that links the elimination rate of a drug with the drug concentration in blood (plasma)
What is the 2nd definition for clearance?
the volume of fluid (blood, plasma) that is completely cleared of drug per unit time
What are the units for clearance?
volume / time
What is the equation for rate of elimination?
clearance x C drug (concentration of drug in plasma)
What essentially is the clearance?
the body’s ability to eliminate a drug
What is the elimination rate of a drug proportional to?
BOTH the clearance and concentration of drug in plasma
What is the steady state?
rate in (dose/time) = rate out (Cl x Css)
What is the equation for total clearance of a drug?
total clearance = the sum of clearance by each organ EXCEPT the lungs
Which organ is the major site of drug metabolism?
the liver
What are the most common routes of drug metabolism?
- oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis (phase I)
- conjugation (phase II)
What may metabolites be?
- inactive
- toxic
- active
- exploited therapeutically, e.g. prodrugs
Can bound drugs enter the hepatocytes?
NO - only unbound drugs
What are the liver elimination processes?
metabolism + biliary excretion
What type of molecular does high biliary clearance work for?
- polar
- MW greater than 350
- actively selected
because polar and high MW drugs are unlikely to be absorbed over the small intestine and high MW cannot pass into the renal tubules, so are dealt with by the liver instead
Are there specific enzymes for specific drugs?
YES, although some drugs can be metabolised by several enzymes
To be metabolised by one specific enzyme, what must a drug have?
- the correct 3D structure to interact with the enzyme site responsible for the reaction
- have a certain affinity for this site
What are enzyme-drug reactions usually described by?
the Michaelis-Menten equation