Introduction of Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics

Q: 1. What is the definition of drug?
Ans. Any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, treatment, prevention or mitigation of disease in man or some other living things.

Q:2. What is the meaning of generic?
Ans. Any item or product that is sold without using brand name.

Q: 3. What do you mean by brand name?
Ans. It is also called as trade name. It is that name of the drug given to a drug or chemical, for sale, by a manufacturer in agreement with the regulating agencies.

Q: 4. What is pharmacopoeia?
Ans. It is an official book containing an authoritative list of medicines, formulae of these drugs, and standards appropriate for their strength such as USP is the Pharmacopoeia for Britain.

Q: 5. What is the difference between pharmacy and pharmacology?
Ans. The art or science, practice or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing drugs used as medical treatments is pharmacy whereas pharmacology talks with special reference to the mechanism of action of the drug on a (particular) disease.

Q: 6. What do you mean by liberation? Liberation is the process of drug release from the dosage form in which it is corporated.

Q: 7. What do you mean by Absorption?

Q: 8. What do you mean by Distribution?

Q: 9. What do you mean by Metabolism?

Q: 10. What do you mean by Excretion?

Q: 11. Briefly tell about the LADME scheme?

Q: 12. What are the input processes?

Q: 13. What are the output processes?
Q: 14. Shortly tell the factors affecting absorption?

Ans. (A) Factors related to Drug:
(1) Chemical Nature
(2) Dosage Form
(3) Degree of ionization
(4) Lipid water partition coefficient
(B) Factors related to Patient:
(1) Route of Administration
(2) State of health of the absorbing surface
(3) Rate of general circulation

Q: 15. Shortly tell the factors affecting drug distribution?
Ans. (A) Physical and Chemical Factors
(1) Molecular weight
(2) Ionization
(B) Capillary permeability
(C) Binding of drugs to plasma proteins
(D) Tissue affinity
(E) Blood flow

Viva from out of course of Pharmacology (Remember Ayah Number, Surah Number and What the Ayah wants to tell):

Q: 16. What ALLAH has said about arguments (discussion or talking)?
Ans. ALLAH has said in Holy Qur'an:

"Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and argue with them in the kindest way. Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His way. And He knows best
who are guided. (125)
(Surah An-Nahl (The Bee), Surah # 16: Ayah #125)"

Ans. Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion are considered as the processes for output.

Ans. Liberation and absorption are considered as the processes for input of the drug.

Ans. It describes the pharmacokinetic processes and short form for Liberation, Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion. After the drug is taken it is (1) liberated in the stomach, (2) absorbed by the stomach and intestine, (3) From there distributed in the blood (4) Metabolised in the liver and (5) Eliminated through the pulmonary, biliary or kidney processes.

Ans. It is the process of elimination of the drug either unchanged form or metabolites from the body.

Ans. It is the process in which drug is changed from one form to another which is comparatively easier to eliminate.

Ans. It is the process of diffusion or transfer of drugs from inside blood vessels to outside of blood vessels.

Ans. Absorption is the process of drug movement to the circulating blood from the administration site.

Ans.

Swine flu

Swine flu:
Swine flu was a respiratory disease of pigs. Its mutation in March 2009 has started the outbreak of new strain of Influenza virus (H1N1) that can cause infections in humans. 64 cases have been reported in United States in which 45 are only in New York to the date 28 April, 2009. (CDC)

Diagnosis and Treatment:
rRT-PCR Swine Flu Panel diagnostic test is used for the diagnosis of this virus. Relenza and Tamiflu antiviral products have been reported for the use against this virus. (Medline Plus)

Source:
Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC)

U. S. National Library of Medicine (Medline Plus)

Lectures on some Pharmacological Topics

1. Factors affecting drug distribution

2. G-Protein Receptor

3. G-Protein Receptor (Take II)

4. Diuretic action in Kidney

5. Agonists and Antagonists

6. Acid-Base Interaction

7. Inner workings of Enzyme Cytochrome P-450 2C9

8. Aspirin (Absorption and deprotonation)

9. Signal Transduction

Source:
University of Rhode Island

Parasympathomimetic Drugs

Q: 1. Classify parasympathomimetic drugs?
Ans:

(A)Direct acting:

(1)Muscarinic agonists:

(a)Choline Esters:

Bethanechol

(b)Alkaloids:

Muscarine, Pilocarpine, Oxotremorine

(2)Nicotinic agonists:

Alkaloids:

Nicotine, Lobeline

(3)Mixed agonists:

Choline esters:

Acetylcholine, Methacholine, Carbachol

(B)Indirect acting (Anti-Cholinesterase)

(1)Reversible:

(a)Quaternary alcohols:

Edrophonium

(b)Carbamate esters:

Neostigmine, Physostigmine, Ambenonium

(2)Irreversible:

Organophosphate compounds:

Echothiofate, Parathion, Melathoin

Q: 2. Classify Parasympatholytic drugs.

Ans.

(A)Anti-Muscarinic drugs:

(1)Natural alkaloids:

Atropine, Scopolamine (Hyoscine)

(2)Synthetic

(a)Mydriatic:

Homatropine, Eucatropine, Tropicamide

(b)Anti-Parkinsonism:

Benzhexol, Benztropine

(c)Anti-asthmatics:

Ipratropium

(d)Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary:

(i)Tertiary amines:

Pirenzepine, Dicyclomine, Oxybutynin

(ii)Quaternary amines:

Propantheline, Mepenzolate

(B)Anti-Nicotinic drugs:

(1)Ganglion blockers:

(a)Depolarizers:

Nicotine

(b)Competitive:

(i)Secondary amines:

Mecamylamine

(ii)Tertiary amines:

Pempidine

(iii)Quaternary amines:

Hexamethonium, Trimethaphan

(2)Neuromuscular blockers:

(a)Depolarizers:

Succinylcholine, Decamethonium

(b)Competitive:

Tubocurarine, Atracurium, Gallamine

(C)Cholinesterase regenerators:

Pralidoxime

Q: 3. What ALLAH has said about Seafood in Holy Qur’an?Ans: ALLAH has said in Holy Qur’an:“Anything you catch in the sea is lawful for you, and all food from it, for your enjoyment and that of travelers, but land game is forbidden for you while you are in the state of pilgrimage.So have fear of Allah, Him to Whom you will be gathered. (96)
(Surah Al-Ma’ida (The Table, The Table Spread), Surah # 5: Ayah # 96)”

Q: 4. What ALLAH has said about saying "Insha ALLAH"?
Ans:ALLAH has said in Holy Qur'an:

"Never say about anything, ‘I am doing that tomorrow,’(23) without adding ‘If Allah wills.’ Remember your Lord when you forget, and say, ‘Hopefully my Lord will guide me to something closer to right guidance than this.’(24)
(Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave), Surah # 18: Ayah # 23-24)"

Name of New Drugs approved in 2008

1. Almivopan (Entereg):It is used for the fast recovery of upper and lower GIT after resection surgery of small or large bowels.

2. Bendamustine Hydrochloride (Treanda):
It is an alkylating agent active against quiescent and dividing cells.

3. C1 inhibitor, Human (Cinryze):It works for complement and intrinsic coagulation pathways and resulates the fibrinolytic system.

4. Certolizumab Pegol (Cimzia):
It is an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha).

5. Ciclesonide (Alvesco):Maintenance therapy of asthma for adult patients.

6. Clevidipine (Cleviprex):A calcium channel blocker.

7. Difluprednate (Durezol):
To reduce inflammation and pain after ocular surgery.

8. Eltrombopag (Promacta):To treat increased risk of bleeding in patients of thrombocytopenia.

9. Etravirine (Intelence):It is used in combination of anti-retroviral therapy for HIV-1.

10. Fesoterodine Fumarate (Toviaz):
Treatment of overactive bladder.

11. Lacosamide (Vimpat):
For partial onset seizure in epileptic patients.

12. Methylnaltrexone Bromide (Relistor):
For treating opioid induced constipation.

13. Plerixafor (Mozobil):
For non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

14. Romiplostim (Nplate):
Increases platelet production in bone marrow.

15. Rufinamide (Banzel):
For patients of epilepsy.

16. Somatropin (Accretropin):
For pediatric patients who are showing growth failure due to inappropriate Growth Hormone secretion.

17. Tetrabenazine (Xenazine):
For the treatment of chorea from Huntington's disease.

References:
Erin Sears and Nicole Ladd, (2009), 2008 New drug approvals, Proceedings, 22 (2), 168-174

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Vaccine designed to lower blood pressure

CYT006-AngQb is a vaccine against angiotensin II. The 300 microgram dose of this vaccine has the ability of reducing the blood pressure in pateints of mild to moderate blood pressure. Moreover, it did not cause any serious side effects. (Tissot, A. C., et al.)

References:
Tissot, A. C., et al. (2008). Effect of immunisation against angiotensin II with CYT006-AngQb on ambulatory blood pressure: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase IIa study. The Lancet, 371 (9615), 821-827