Pharmacology Mnemonics - Flash Cards

Name: Bacillus Calumet-Guerin (BCG)

Class: Immunostimulant

Mechanism: Viable strain of Mycobaterium bovis. Enhances Mf activity, promotes Mf tumoricidal activity.

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Utility: Treat bladder carcinoma and melanomas.

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Name: Interferon g

Class: Immunostimulant

Mechanism: Binds to cell-surface receptors ® activation of NK cells and Mfs, promotion of conversion to TH₁ cells.

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Toxicity/S.E.s: Fever w/chills; dose-related leukopenia, thrombocytopenia; fatigue, malaise, anorexia, weight loss, alopecia, transient elevation of liver enzymes. High doses may ® transient & reversible nephrotoxicity.

Utility: Used to treat for chronic hepatitis B, virally induced tumors, recurrent varicella zoster, HSV keratitis, Kaposi’s sarcoma, hairy cell leukemia, cutaneous T cell lymphoma.

Special Features: Produced by memory TH₁ cells and NK cells. Interferon production is induced by dsRNA (poly I:C), ampligen (mismatched nucleotides), LPS.

Name: Interferon b

Class: Immunostimulant

Mechanism: Binds to cell-surface receptors ® inhib. of viral replication, inhib. of cell proliferation.

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Toxicity/S.E.s: Fever w/chills; dose-related leukopenia, thrombocytopenia; fatigue, malaise, anorexia, weight loss, alopecia, transient elevation of liver enzymes. High doses may ® transient & reversible nephrotoxicity.

Utility: Used to treat for chronic hepatitis B, virally induced tumors, recurrent varicella zoster, HSV keratitis, Kaposi’s sarcoma, hairy cell leukemia, cutaneous T cell lymphoma.

Special Features: Produced by fibroblasts. Interferon production is induced by dsRNA (poly I:C), ampligen (mismatched nucleotides), LPS.

Name: Interferon a

Class: Immunostimulant

Mechanism: Binds to cell-surface receptors ® inhib. of viral replication, inhib. of cell proliferation.

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Toxicity/S.E.s: Fever w/chills; dose-related leukopenia, thrombocytopenia; fatigue, malaise, anorexia, weight loss, alopecia, transient elevation of liver enzymes. High doses may ® transient & reversible nephrotoxicity.

Utility: IFN a2A is approved for mgt. of hairy cell leukemia. Also useful for chronic hepatitis B, virally induced tumors, recurrent varicella zoster, HSV keratitis, Kaposi’s sarcoma, cutaneous T cell lymphoma.

Special Features: Produced by mononuclear leukocytes. Interferon production is induced by dsRNA (poly I:C), ampligen (mismatched nucleotides), LPS.

Name: Erythropoietin (Epoetin Alfa, Epogen)

Class: Immunostimulant

Mechanism: Stim. division/differentiation of erythroid progenitors in bone marrow.

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Toxicity/S.E.s: Usu. well-tolerated. Low incidence of hypertension, headache, seizures. Rare hypersensitivity rxns.

Utility: Treat anemia assoc. w/chronic renal failure, AZT therapy, cancer and chemotherapy. Supplemental iron eventually required in therapy.

Special Features: Manufactured by recombinant DNA technology. Identical to human erythropoietin.

Name: GM-CSF (Sargramostim)

Class: Immunostimulant

Mechanism: Stim. bone marrow production of precursors to PMNs, monocytes, platelets. Also activates PMNs, eosinophils, and monocytes.

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Toxicity/S.E.s: Fever, dermatologic rxns, splenomegaly.

Utility: FDA-approved to increase myeloid recovery rate after bone marrow transplantation. Also used for hematological reconstitution after autologous bone marrow transplants and treatments w/bone marrow cytotoxic drugs.

Special Features: Greater severity of immunologic S.E.s than w/G-CSF.

Name: G-CSF (Filgrastim)

Class: Immunostimulant

Mechanism: Promotes growth & differentiation of granulocyte precursors.

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Toxicity/S.E.s: Bone pain, fever, anti-CSF antibodies.

Utility: Restore hematopoiesis (FDA-approved to treat neutropenia), augment host defenses, esp. after cancer therapy.