2. “WHAT IS FIRST PASS METABOLISM ”
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The first pass effect is a phenomenon in which a drug gets
metabolized at a specific location in the body that results in a
reduced concentration of the active drug upon reaching its
site of action or the systemic circulation.
The first pass effect is often associated with the liver, as this is
a major site of drug metabolism.
3. HEPATIC FIRST PASS METABOLISM :-
Hepatic first pass occurs when drug absorbed from the
gastrointestinal tract is metabolized by enzymes within the liver to
such an extent that most of the active agent does not exit the liver
and, therefore, does not reach the systemic circulation
Phase I metabolic reactions can occur during the absorptive
phase in the gut wall or liver before reaching the blood stream.
This results in a reduction in the concentration of the drug before
it reaches the circulation. In other words, there is a fraction of the
drug that is lost.
6. However, the first pass effect can also occur in the lungs, vasculature,
gastrointestinal tract, and other metabolically active tissues in the
body.
This effect can become augmented by various factors such as plasma
protein concentrations, enzymatic activity, and gastrointestinal
motility.
It is the fraction of drug lost during the process of absorption which is
generally related to the liver and gut wall.
Notable drugs that experience a significant first-pass effect are
imipramine, morphine, propranolol, buprenorphine, diazepam,
midazolam, pethidine, tetrahydrocannabinol, ethanol (drinking
alcohol), cimetidine, lidocaine, and nitroglycerin.
7. SOME EXCEPTIONS TO FIRST PASS METABOLISM
INCLUDE :-
In contrast some drugs are enhanced in potency:
for example, the effect of the most commonly considered active
ingredient in cannabis, THC, is enhanced by transformation of a
significant portion into 11-hydroxy-THC
that more readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and thus
achieves greater potency than the original THC.
8.
9. SOME COMMON EXAMPLES :-
First pass metabolism may occur in the liver (for propranolol,
lidocaine, chloromethiasole and GTN) or in the gut (for
benzylpenicillin and insulin).
In drug design, drug candidates may have good druglikeness but
fail on first-pass metabolism because it is biochemically selective.
Alternative routes of administration like suppository, intravenous,
intramuscular, inhalational aerosol, transdermal, and sublingual
avoid the first-pass effect because they allow drugs to be absorbed
directly into the systemic circulation.
10. EFFECT OF FIRST PASS METABOLISM ON DRUGS :-
Drugs with high first pass effect typically have a considerably
higher oral dose than sublingual or parenteral dose. There is
marked individual variation in the oral dose due to differences in
the extent of first pass metabolism, frequently among several
other factors.
Oral bioavailability of many vulnerable drug appears to be
increased in patients with compromised liver function.
11. Bioavailability is also increased if another drug competing for
first pass metabolism enzymes is given concurrently e.g.
propranolol and chlorpromazine.
12. MECHANISM OF FIRST PASS METABOLISM:-
After a drug is swallowed, it is absorbed by the digestive system
and enters the hepatic portal system. It is carried through the
portal vein into the liver before it reaches the rest of the body.
The liver metabolizes many drugs, sometimes to such an extent
that only a small amount of active drug emerges from the liver to
the rest of the circulatory system.
This first pass through the liver thus may greatly reduce the
bioavailability of the drug.
13.
14.
15. SYSTEMS THAT AFFECT THE FIRST PASS EFFECT OF A
DRUG :-
The four primary systems that affect the first pass effect of a drug
are the enzymes of the gastrointestinal lumen, gut wall enzymes,
bacterial enzymes, and hepatic enzymes.
16. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE :-
Some drugs that undergo considerable first-pass metabolism include
alprenolol, 5-fluorouracil, morphine, pentazocine, and
mercaptopurine.
When given orally, these drugs are quickly metabolized via the first-
pass effect, requiring their oral dosages to be much larger than their
intravenous dosages.
The first pass effect also has an impact on peak drug concentrations,
which may result in drug concentration peaks occurring much earlier
than they would in a parenteral dose.
It is critical to maintain proper serum concentrations of a drug that
experiences the first-pass effect; this allows for the maintenance of a
safe and effective dose of the drug.
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18.
19. THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS OF FIRST PASS METABOLISM
:-
One major therapeutic implication of extensive first-pass metabolism
is that much larger oral doses than intravenous doses are required
to achieve equivalent plasma concentrations.
For some drugs, extensive first-pass metabolism precludes their use
as oral agents (e. g. lignocaine, naloxone and glyceryl trinitrate).
Research has shown that monitoring blood levels of drugs that
experience the first-pass effect is the most viable way to maintain
therapeutic concentrations of these drugs.
20. NURSING, ALLIED HEALTH AND INTER-PROFESSIONAL TEAM
MONITORING :-
When monitoring patients that are taking drugs that experience the
first-pass effect, it is critical to monitor the blood levels of these
drugs to ensure that the patients' serum drug concentrations remain
within their therapeutic windows.
Doing so will maximize the efficacy of treatment and patient safety.