Browsing Pathways

Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) class drug that suppresses the final step in gastric acid production. In this pathway, pantoprazole is oxidized in the stomach to form the active metabolite of pantoprazole. This active metabolite then binds covalently to the potassium-transporting ATPase protein subunits, found at the secretory surface of the gastric parietal cell, preventing any stimulus. Because the drug binds covalently, its effects are dose-dependent and last much longer than similar drugs that bind to the protein non-covalently. This is because additional ATPase enzymes must be created to replace the ones covalently bound by pantoprazole. Pantoprazole is used to manage gastroesophageal reflux disease, to prevent stomach ulcers, and can be used to help treat the effects of a H. pylori infection.

Prednisone is a medication that is used to suppress the immune system. It works by interrupting cytokine pathways type 1 and type 2. It is administered orally, through tablet, or solution (concentrated or non-concentrated). Prednisone is a glucocorticoid, and as well as being used for immune system suppression, it is used for its anti inflammatory properties. It exerts these properties by binding to glucocorticoid receptors in the cell, which inhibits inflammatory cells. This prevents inflammatory mediators from being expressed.

Etoposide is a medication commonly sold as Vepesid, or Etopophos. It is a type of chemotherapy. It is used to treat many types of cancers, including nonlymphocytic leukemia and testicular cancer. Etoposide is semisynthetic and a derivative of the podophyllotoxins which is an epipodophyllotoxin. This substance is found in the root of the American Mayapple plant. The way this substance works is by inhibiting topoisomerase II, which inhibits DNA synthesis. This breaks the catalytic cycle of topoisomerase II, and after a while overwhelms the cell. This can cause a death pathway, killing the cancer cell. Etoposide is administered by a doctor, through intravenous infusion.

Ribose-5-phosphate isomerase (RPI) deficiency, is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the RPIA gene that codes for RPI. RPI is an enzyme that is involved in the pentose phosphate pathway as part of carbohydrate degradation. It reversibly converts D-ribulose 5-phosphate into D-ribose 5-phosphate. In the case of this disorder, RPI functions partially in tissues, because if the gene was simply non-functional, it would likely be lethal. This means that a specific type of mutation needs to occur for this disorder to occur, leading to it being the rarest disease in the world, with only three confirmed cases. In the first known case, the patient had one allele containing a frameshift mutation, which led to a truncated protein, while the other allele contained a missense mutation. This combination meant that activity of RPI was found to vary across tissues and cell types. Characteristics of the RPI deficiency include higher ribitol and arabitol levels in a metabolic profile, as well as differences in polyol profiles. There are other symptoms, including leukoencephalopathy and neuropathy, which may be caused by a toxic accumulation of ribitol and arabitol, or a potential lack of ribose-5-phosphate in RNA synthesis.

Urokinase is an enzyme that is part of the thrombolytics drug class, used to dissolve or break down blood clots. Urokinase activates plasminogen. Then zooming in even further to the endoplasmic reticulum within the liver, vitamin K1 2,3-epoxide uses vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 to become reduced vitamin K (phylloquinone), and then back to vitamin K1 2,3-epoxide continually through vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxylase. This enzyme also catalyzes precursors of prothrombin and coagulation factors VII, IX and X to prothrombin, and coagulation factors VII, IX and X. From there, these precursors and factors leave the liver cell and enter into the blood capillary bed. Once there, prothrombin is catalyzed into the protein complex prothrombinase complex which is made up of coagulation factor Xa/coagulation factor Va (platelet factor 3). These factors are joined by coagulation factor V. Through the two factors coagulation factor Xa and coagulation factor Va, thrombin is produced, which then uses fibrinogen alpha, beta, and gamma chains to create fibrin (loose). This is then turned into coagulation factor XIIIa, which is activated through coagulation factor XIII A and B chains. From here, fibrin (mesh) is produced which interacts with endothelial cells to cause coagulation. Plasmin is then created from fibrin (mesh), then joined by tissue-type plasminogen activator (urokinase) through plasminogen, and creates fibrin degradation products. These are enzymes that stay in your blood after your body has dissolved a blood clot. Coming back to the factors transported from the liver, coagulation factor X is catalyzed into a group of enzymes called the tenase complex: coagulation factor IX and coagulation factor VIIIa (platelet factor 3). This protein complex is also contributed to by coagulation factor VIII, which through prothrombin is catalyzed into coagulation factor VIIIa. From there, this protein complex is catalyzed into prothrombinase complex, the group of proteins mentioned above, contributing to the above process ending in fibrin degradation products. Another enzyme transported from the liver is coagulation factor IX which becomes coagulation factor IXa, part of the tense complex, through coagulation factor XIa. Coagulation factor XIa is produced through coagulation factor XIIa which converts coagulation XI to become coagulation factor XIa. Coagulation factor XIIa is introduced through chain of activation starting in the endothelial cell with collagen alpha-1 (I) chain, which paired with coagulation factor XII activates coagulation factor XIIa. It is also activated through plasma prekallikrein and coagulation factor XIIa which activate plasma kallikrein, which then pairs with coagulation factor XII simultaneously with the previous collagen chain pairing to activate coagulation XIIa. Lastly, the previously transported coagulation factor VII and tissue factor coming from a vascular injury work together to activate tissue factor: coagulation factor VIIa. This enzyme helps coagulation factor X catalyze into coagulation factor Xa, to contribute to the prothrombinase complex and complete the pathway.

Ranitidine is an anti-ulcer agent, that works through antagonizing the histamine H2 receptor. It is used to reduce abdominal pain, heartburn, acid indigestion and acid reflux. The pathway begins in the stomach, where ranitidine inhibits the histamine H2 receptor on the surface of the parietal cell. Now in the gastric endothelial cell, potassium-transporting ATPase units are inhibited by G-Protein signalling cascade through somatostatin receptor type 4, which is activated by somatostatin. At the same time, potassium-transporting ATPase is activated by the G-protein signalling cascade, through histamine H2 receptor which is inhibited by ranitidine, gastrin/cholecystokinin type B receptor, and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 which are activated by histamine, gastrin and acetylcholine, respectively. The potassium transporting ATPase also converts water and ATP to a phosphate molecule and ADP. Alongside the transporters, potassium is brought into the cell. Carbonic anhydrase 1 uses water and carbon dioxide to create hydrogen carbonate and a hydrogen ion, which are both transported out of the endothelial cell, into the gastric lumen. A chloride ion is transported into the gastric endothelial cell through a chloride anion exchanger and is transported out of the cell through a chloride intracellular channel protein 2, back into the gastric lumen.

Ximelagatran is an anticoagulant drug used to prevent and treat blood clots, and was the first drug in the anticoagulant drug class to be able to be ingested orally. It was discontinued from distribution by its parent company AstraZeneca in 2006 as it was found to raise liver enzyme levels in patients and cause liver damage as a result. Ximelagatran inhibits prothrombin. Then zooming in even further to the endoplasmic reticulum within the liver, vitamin K1 2,3-epoxide uses vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 to become reduced vitamin K (phylloquinone), and then back to vitamin K1 2,3-epoxide continually through vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxylase. This enzyme also catalyzes precursors of prothrombin and coagulation factors VII, IX and X to prothrombin, and coagulation factors VII, IX and X. From there, these precursors and factors leave the liver cell and enter into the blood capillary bed. Once there, prothrombin is inhibited by ximelagatran, and is catalyzed into the protein complex prothrombinase complex which is made up of coagulation factor Xa/coagulation factor Va (platelet factor 3). These factors are joined by coagulation factor V and ximelagatran inhibits prothrombin. Through the two factors coagulation factor Xa and coagulation factor Va, thrombin is produced and inhibited by ximelagatran, which then uses fibrinogen alphabet, and gamma chains to create fibrin (loose). This is then turned into coagulation factor XIIIa, which is activated through coagulation factor XIII A and B chains. From here, fibrin (mesh) is produced which interacts with endothelial cells to cause coagulation. Plasmin is then created from fibrin (mesh), then joined by tissue-type plasminogen activator through plasminogen and creates fibrin degradation products. These are enzymes that stay in your blood after your body has dissolved a blood clot. Coming back to the factors transported from the liver, coagulation factor X is catalyzed into a group of enzymes called the tenase complex: coagulation factor IX and coagulation factor VIIIa (platelet factor 3). This protein complex is also contributed to by coagulation factor VIII, which through prothrombin is catalyzed into coagulation factor VIIIa. Prothrombin is inhibited by ximelagatran here as well. From there, this protein complex is catalyzed into prothrombinase complex, the group of proteins mentioned above, contributing to the above process ending in fibrin degradation products. Another enzyme transported from the liver is coagulation factor IX which becomes coagulation factor IXa, part of the tense complex, through coagulation factor XIa. Coagulation factor XIa is produced through coagulation factor XIIa which converts coagulation XI to become coagulation factor XIa. Coagulation factor XIIa is introduced through chain of activation starting in the endothelial cell with collagen alpha-1 (I) chain, which paired with coagulation factor XII activates coagulation factor XIIa. It is also activated through plasma prekallikrein and coagulation factor XIIa which activate plasma kallikrein, which then pairs with coagulation factor XII simultaneously with the previous collagen chain pairing to activate coagulation XIIa. Lastly, the previously transported coagulation factor VII and tissue factor coming from a vascular injury work together to activate tissue factor: coagulation factor VIIa. This enzyme helps coagulation factor X catalyze into coagulation factor Xa, to contribute to the prothrombinase complex and complete the pathway.

Dicumarol (also known as bishydroxycoumarin) is an anticoagulant that inhibit the liver enzyme vitamin K reductase, which cause Vitamin K1 2,3-epoxide could not be catalyzed by vitamin K reductase to form vitamin KH2, the reduced form of vitamin K. Vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors (II, VII, IX, and X) requires its cofactor, vitamin K to facilitate the activation and gamma-carboxylation. Inhibition of vitamin K reductase results in reduced concentration of vitamin KH2, which will ultimately lead to decreased coagulability of the blood and reduced cleavage of fibrinogen into fibrin.

Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) class drug that suppresses the final step in gastric acid production. In this pathway, pantoprazole is oxidized in the stomach to form the active metabolite of pantoprazole. This active metabolite then binds covalently to the potassium-transporting ATPase protein subunits, found at the secretory surface of the gastric parietal cell, preventing any stimulus. Because the drug binds covalently, its effects are dose-dependent and last much longer than similar drugs that bind to the protein non-covalently. This is because additional ATPase enzymes must be created to replace the ones covalently bound by pantoprazole. Pantoprazole is used to manage gastroesophageal reflux disease, to prevent stomach ulcers, and can be used to help treat the effects of a H. pylori infection.

Metiamide is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist that can bind and inhibit histamine H2-receptor to prevent the histamine effects on basolateral memrbane in gastric parietal cell. Binding and inhibition of histamine H2-receptor can lead to decreased gastric acid secretion so that lowering gastric volume as well as acidity.