Pharmacology 100 Question 1 Angina pectoris occurs because of a deficiency of blood flow and oxygen supply to areas of the

heart muscle. To re-establish sufficient blood flow and oxygen, heart muscles oxygen demand must be decreased or oxygen supply must increase; some drugs achieve both. Organic Nitrates Organic Nitrates act by relaxing the smooth muscle in blood vessels, which leads to vasodilatation. Relaxation of large veins leaves more blood in the veins and less for the heart to pump, therefore lower oxygen requirements of the heart muscles. Nitrates also dilate coronary arteries which allows more blood, and therefore oxygen to flow through to the needed areas of the heart muscle. The most notable and commonly used Organic Nitrate is Nitro Glycerin. Nitro glycerine is catalyzed into citrulline and nitric oxide in the endothelial cells. The Nitric oxide passes from endothelial to the smooth muscle cells where it interacts with the enzyme guanylyl cyclase, which goes through a series of steps to relax the smooth muscle cells. Beta Adrenergic Blocking Agents(BABAs) Angina is set off by an increase in requirements of the heart, moderated by the CNS; the sympathetic nervous system being responsible for stimulation and excitation. BABAs act by blocking the effects of the sympathetic nervous system. The specifics are fairly straight forward compared to the other two classes: BABAs block the beta receptors in the heart, disabling the sympathetic nervous system from acting upon them and thereby decreasing heart rate and oxygen requirements. Calcium Channel Blocking Drugs(CCBs) For vasoconstriction to occur, calcium ions rapidly enter the smooth muscle cells through a receptor operated ion channel. Calcium then binds to calmodulin complex and goes through a series of steps to constrict arterioles. CCBs act by blocking the receptor operated channels, therefore disabling calcium ions from crossing the smooth muscle cell barrier, leading to relaxation and dilation of arterioles. Organic Nitrates are used to treat acute attacks of angina. The drug is administered to the blood stream sublingually and is the fastest acting of the above three classes. Onset of relief usually occurs 2 minutes after administration. Question 2

Forms of antibiotics where used over 2000 years ago. Before the 20th century mixtures with antimicrobrial properties where used to treat infections. For example, there is record that ancient Egyptians used plants and molds to treat infections. Synthetic antibiotics where first introduced by Paul Ehrlich(1854) in Germany, for use in chemotherapy. Ehrlich managed to define a cure for syphilis. In the 1930s Gerhard Domagk, a German scientist, introduced the sulphonamide drug group which are efficacious against a variety of severe bacterial diseases. Penicillin, derived from the penicillium mold, was first discovered Alexander Fleming in 1929 working at St. Marys Hospital, London, England. Fleming found that virulent bacteria were unable to survive next to penicillium mold. During the Second World War, Florey and Chain where able to isolate penicillin at Oxford University. They administered penicillin to patients with a variety of infections(gram-positive bacteria) with great success. In 1943, at Rutgers University, Selman Waksman discovered streptomycin which affectively treats several infections caused by gram-negative microorganisms, including tuberculosis. Question 3 For heart muscles to function, they need to have a sufficient supply of oxygen. A myocardial infraction is when there is an interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing the heart to die. This is commonly due to a rupture of an unstable collection of lipids(specifically, low density lipoproteins) in the wall of an artery. This can result in the blockade of a coronary artery, and the death of heart muscle. As heart attacks are most often caused by high levels of plasma lipids, it is fair to assume that a patient that has previously sustained a heart attack has high levels of plasma lipids. Lowering plasma lipids(LDLs) in patients lowers the unstable collections of lipids in the arteries and therefore lowers the likelihood and magnitude of future heart attacks. This is the rationale behind using drugs to lower plasma lipids in patients that have had prior myocardial infractions. Question 4 Antibiotics are chemical substances produced by microorganisms that suppress the growth of other microorganisms. Antibiotics are prone to resistance, primarily because of genetic mutation in bacteria. The more an antibiotic is used, the higher the risk of resistanceAnd they are widely overused. The success of antibiotic resistance is very much a product of overuse within medicine and veterinary medicine. Doctors often prescribe antibiotics because they dont feel like arguing with patients, or fear the possible legal ramifications if something were to happen to the patient. Antibiotics are also used in the

upbringing of consumer animals, such as chicken and cattle. If these products are not properly processed, it is possible for humans to receive resistant strands of bacteria, commonly known as superbugs. There are three methods of transmission from animals to humans, being: the consumption of meet, close or direct contact with animals, and through the environment. Prevention: Rational use of antibiotics. Provide doctors with more specific training on use and effects of antibiotic treatmentgive them ways on how to deal with patients on this matter, and how to say no. Use of antibiotics in animals that we consume can lead to strands of viruses that are immune to those antibiotics. If we start using different drugs to treat these animals then this method of antibiotic resistance would be suppressed. Creation of new medication other that antibiotics would get rid of the need for antibiotics, therefore making antibiotic resistance irrelevant. Question 5 Tubal Ligation, vasectomy and estrogen-progestin products are the three forms of contraception that are 100% effective. The first two are surgical procedures that are not easily reversed (another surgical procedure is required), but if the individual is using the estrogen-progestin products and decide they want to try to conceive, they simply need to stop taking the product. Estrogen-progestin products are also relatively affordable making them more attractive. The likelihood of serious side effects is also very low, again making them more attractive contraceptive. Question 6 Vitamin C: In case theres no fruit or other source. Also I would take the citrus flavoured oneit tastes the best Acetaminophen: I get headaches and I have a sensitive stomach. This would help relieve my head ache without irritating my stomach. Mouth wash: so my companion does not have to worry about my bad breath... though its not like she could find anyone with better breath. Calamine lotion: In the movies there are always lots of things that can bite and sting you on desert Islands, Im assuming my Islands the same. It will help sooth my insect bites Sunscreen: its a desert... Im pale and would rather not die of skin cancer. It will help protect me from UV radiation. Some form of antacid: my GI is easily irritated, antacids will help calm it. Laxatives: Ill get bored and want to pull pranks on my companion. Laxatives are always good for that.

Antidiarrheal agent: Ill feel bad after I give her the laxative. Bug spray(DEET) : Keep the bugs away. Gold Bond(with aloe): I get very dry hands, I cant imagine how dry they would get in a desert.

Question 7 Food additives are not a necessity, they are considered a convenience substance. The entire population can be exposed so additive requirements must be extremely stringent. Perscription drugs are often specific to a much smaller demographic and most often have some form of urgent medical benefit. Negative side effects are to be expected with prescription drugs, but the medical benefits should outweigh the side effects. This is the reason why prescription drugs must be prescribed; they are not meant for everyone and can be prone to abuse or negative side effects. This is not the case for food. Food is something that all humans need to survive. We expect food that we buy to be beneficial to our wellbeing. If a food additive was added to our everyday products, say for example milk, and it contained an additive that had a 1% chance of giving the individual cancer, we could expect the number of cancer patients to increase by millions in North America alone. Question 8 Alkylating agents In general, cancer cells multiply much faster and with less error correcting that normal healthy cells, making them more sensitive to DNA damage. The alkylating agents attach an alkyl group to DNA, which damages the DNA of not only the cancer cells, but also other healthy rapidly multiplying cells such as those in the gastrointestinal tract. Antimetabolites Antimetabolites harm cancer cells by inhibiting growth and cell division. The toxicity is not specific to cancer cells and has the same effect on other cells. Because cancer cells spend more time dividing than other type of cells, the inhibition harms cancer cells more than others. Natural products Different natural products have different affects, so I will focus on Vincristine. Vincristine arrests mitosis in metaphase, therefore inhibiting proper cell division of rapidly dividing cells. The effects are not cancer cell specific, they affect all rapidly dividing cell types including intestinal epithelium and bone marrow.

Chemotherapy drugs are often used in combination because cancer cells are more likely to be seriously damaged if they are attacked by multiple drugs acting and attacking in different ways. The second reason is that different chemotherapy drugs have different toxicities, and very often have quite low therapeutic indexes. Using multiple drugs can often allow for more optimal toxicities to be attained.