Browsing Pathways

Ibuprofen is a very common NSAID drug used to treat pain and inflammation. This includes headaches, muscle pain and fever. It is sold under the brand name Advil or Motrin. Ibuprofen is typically ingested orally, although in the USA an intravenous version can be used. It inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX) non-selectively. This enzyme is responsible for the creation of prostaglandins, which allow pain to be felt. Inhibiting COX makes prostaglandin creation more sparse, thus resulting in less pain for the patient using ibuprofen. Arachdonic acid is converted into prostaglandin H2 by using cytosolic prostaglandin G/H synthase (COX). These enzymes are available as COX1 and COX2, and are encoded by PTGS1 (COX1) and PTGS2 (COX2). Ibuprofen may also inhibit fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which results in the activation of antinociceptive axis, which then metabolizes the endocannabinoid anandamide.

Sorafenib is a drug that belongs to the antineoplastics drug class, which is the drug class relating to the treatment of cancer, specifically renal, hepatic and thyroid cancers. This drug works by stopping cancerous tumour progress and stopping therapy replication pf potentially malignant cells. It does this by inhibiting protein synthesis, as we will explore in the pathway. Sorafenib is administered orally, in a tablet form taken twice daily without food. Once ingested, sorafenib finds itself in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane , where it inhibits cytochrome P450 2B6, cytochrome P450 2C8, cytochrome P450 2C9 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1-1. Sorafenib is also catalyzed, with the help uridine diphosphate glucuronic acid and the enzyme UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1-9 to sorafenib b-D-glucuronide with a by-product of uridine 5’-diphosphate. Sorafenib also undergoes a transformation without the use of catalytic enzymes and becomes sorafenib metabolite M4 and subsequently becomes sorafenib metabolite M5. In another reaction, sorafenib teams up with water and oxygen, using cytochrome P450 3A4 to create sorafenib N-oxide and hydrogen peroxide. Sorafenib N-oxide then undergoes two more reactions, one where it becomes sorafenib N-oxide glucuronide, and another where it becomes sorafenib metabolite M1. Sorafenib metabolite M1 is also attached to another reaction, as sorafenib creates sorafenib metabolite M3, sorafenib metabolite M1 is also created from this metabolite.

Teniposide is a type of chemotherapy drug, derived from the epipodophyllotoxin form the American Mayapple plant. Teniposide is related to etoposide, another anti-cancer drug. It works in a similar way, inhibiting topoisomerase II. This causes single- and double-stranded DNA breaks. These breaks cause cell growth to stop and prevents cancer cells from entering mitosis. It is administered through an intravenous infusion. It is used to treat many cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia (acute lymphocytic), and neuroblastoma.

Benazepril (trade name: Lotensin) belongs to the class of drugs known as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and is used primarily to lower high blood pressure (hypertension). This drug can also be used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and type II diabetes. Benazepril is a prodrug which, following oral administration, undergoes biotransformation in vivo into its active form benazeprilat via cleavage of its ester group by the liver. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is a component of the body's renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) and cleaves inactive angiotensin I into the active vasoconstrictor angiotensin II. ACE (or kininase II) also degrades the potent vasodilator bradykinin. Consequently, ACE inhibitors decrease angiotensin II concentrations and increase bradykinin concentrations resulting in blood vessel dilation and thereby lowering blood pressure.

Spirapril (trade name: Renormax) belongs to the class of drugs known as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and is used primarily to lower high blood pressure (hypertension). This drug can also be used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and type II diabetes. Spirapril is a prodrug which, following oral administration, undergoes biotransformation in vivo into its active form spiraprilat via cleavage of its ester group by the liver. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is a component of the body's renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) and cleaves inactive angiotensin I into the active vasoconstrictor angiotensin II. ACE (or kininase II) also degrades the potent vasodilator bradykinin. Consequently, ACE inhibitors decrease angiotensin II concentrations and increase bradykinin concentrations resulting in blood vessel dilation and thereby lowering blood pressure.

Tramadol (also named Ultram) is a class of opioid pain medication that used for treating pain. Metabolism of tramadol mainly happened in liver cell. The N-demethylation of tramadol is catalyzed by the cytochrome CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 to form N-Desmethyltramadol, which further metabolized to N,N-Didesmethyltramadol through CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 and to N,O-Didesmethyltramadol through CYP2D6. The O-demethylation of tramadol is catalyzed by the cytochrome CYP2D6 to form O-Desmethyltramadol, which further metabolized to O-Desmethyltramadol glucuronide through UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B7 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1-8. O-Desmethyltramadol can also be metabolized to N,O-Didesmethyltramadol through CYP2D6.

Nevirapine is used in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 (HIV-1) infection. It is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) that binds to the tyrosines at amino acid residues 181 and 188 of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. Nevirapine is metabolized in the liver to 2-, 3-, 8-, and 12-hydroxynevirapine by the induction of CYP enzymes, mainly CYP3A4 and CYP2B6. 12-hydroxynevirapine may be further oxidated by ALDH to form 4-carboxynevirapine. These hydroxyl metabolites are glucuronidated by UDP glucuronosyl transferases (UGTs), then exit the cell via the adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette gene ABCC10 for urinary excretion.

Lamivudine (2'-deoxy-3'-thiacytidine, 3TC) is a pyrimidine analog reverse transcriptase enzyme inhibitor used to treat human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1), HIV-2, and Hepatitis B. When metabolized to its active triphosphate form, it competes with deoxycytidine triphosphate for binding to reverse transcriptase, resulting in chain termination when incorporated into the viral DNA. Lamivudine may enter the cells by passive diffusion or by active transported via SLC22A1, SLC22A2, and SLC22A3. Intracellularly, it is phosphorylated to its active triphosphate from via deoxycytidine kinase (3TC to 3TC-monophosphate), followed by cytidine monophosphate/deoxycytidine monophosphate kinase (3TC-monophosphate to 3TC-diphosphate), then 3'-phosphoglycerate kinase or nucleoside diphosphate kinase (3TC-diphosphate to 3TC-triphosphate). Dephosphorylation can occur via phosphatases or salvage pathways. Lamivudine is actively transported out of cell by efflux transporters ABCB1, ABCC1, ABCC2, ABCC3, ABCC4 and ABCG2 and primarily excreted unchanged in the urine.

Ifosfamide is an alkylating agent used in the treatment of certain cancers. Following absorption, ifosfamide is converted into 4-hydroxyifosfamide by a variety of cytochrome P450 isozymes in the liver. 4-Hydroxyifosfamide crosses the plasma membrane of the cancer cell and spontaneuosly forms aldoifosfamide. This is a reversible reaction. Aldoifosfamide can decompose into acrolein and ifosforamide mustard. Ifosforamide mustard is the active alkylating agent and forms alkyl adducts with DNA through an ifosforamide aziridinium intermediate. Alkylation of DNA causes DNA damage and ultimately cell death.

Morphine exerts its analgesic by acting on the mu-opioid receptor of sensory neurons. Binding to the mu-opioid receptor activates associated G(i) proteins. These subsequently act to inhibit adenylate cyclase, reducing the level of intracellular cAMP. G(i) also activates potassium channels and inactivates calcium channels causing the neuron to hyperpolarize. The end result is decreased nerve conduction and reduced neurotransmitter release, which blocks the perception of pain signals.