Drug Elimination Pathways and Therapeutic Concepts
Drug Elimination Pathways
Renal elimination is the main route of drug elimination, occurring through several kidney excretion mechanisms.
Enterohepatic Recirculation (Biliary Excretion)
Some drugs are excreted through the bile, which is released into the duodenum to emulsify fats during digestion.
Pulmonary Elimination
The respiratory mucosa can eliminate substances, especially volatile ones, such as volatile anesthetics and alcohol.
Elimination Through Glands
Elimination through glands, particularly the
Read MoreSmall Molecule Interactions & Peptidomimetic Design
Small Molecule Interactions with Biomolecules
- H-Bonds
- Pi-pi-interaction
- Electrostatic interaction
- Hydrophobic interaction
Peptide Drawbacks as Drug Candidates
- Major drawbacks of peptides as drug candidates:
- Biologically unstable
- Poorly absorbed
- Rapidly metabolized
- Poor pharmacokinetics
- Poor transport properties
- Rapid excretion
Drawbacks of peptides: bioavailability and pharmacokinetics.
- Suggest three ways to improve the pharmacokinetic properties of peptidomimetics.
Peptidomimetics: Mimicking Peptides
A peptidomimetic
Read MoreAdvanced Drug Delivery Systems: Mechanisms, Technologies, and Challenges
Advanced Drug Delivery Systems
The major obstacles for efficient transport to the site of action are enzymatic degradation and biological membranes.
Antioxidant substances (AS) are added to medicaments because the oxidation process is supposed to act first on the AS, then on the active ingredient.
The role of the drug delivery system is to allow the effective, safe, and reliable application of the drug to the patient.
Mechanisms of Drug Release Control
- Diffusion-controlled release
- Dissolution-controlled
Understanding Drug Interactions: Effects, Antagonism, and Absorption
Understanding Drug Interactions
General Effects of Drug Interactions
In many instances, drugs or substances are administered concomitantly with the aim of achieving a better therapeutic effect through interaction. An example of this search for beneficial effects through interaction mechanisms is the use of antagonists to displace a toxin from a receptor and reverse poisoning. However, the consequences of the interaction can be harmful or toxic if they render a necessary drug ineffective.
Types of Antagonism
There
Read MoreUnderstanding Genetic Engineering and its Uses
Genetic Engineering: Techniques and Applications
Although the structure of DNA was discovered in the mid-twentieth century by Francis Crick and James Watson, a breakthrough occurred in the 1970s with the development of two crucial biological tools:
- Identification of restriction enzymes.
- The polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
These tools, along with a greater understanding of genes, ushered in the era of Biotechnology, a science integrating natural sciences and engineering to utilize organisms, cells,
Read MoreRespiratory Tract Anatomy, Function, and Blood-Brain Barrier
Respiratory Tract: Composition and Function
The respiratory tract includes:
Nose (nasal cavity) -> Pharynx (nasopharynx, oropharynx, laryngopharynx) -> Larynx -> Trachea -> Bronchi (primary, secondary (lobar), tertiary (segmental) -> Bronchioles -> Terminal bronchioles -> Respiratory bronchioles -> Alveolar ducts -> Alveoli
Trachea
- Tough but flexible “windpipe”, anterior to esophagus
- Attached to cricoid cartilage (at about C6 vertebral level) & ends within mediastinum