PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS

Structure/Class
  1. Examples of PPIs are omeprazole, pantoprazole and rabeprazole
Pharmacodynamics
  1. They are lipophilic weak bases that are administered as inactive prodrugs with an enteric coating.
    • The enteric coating is dissolved in the small intestine. The pro-drug is then absorbed and circulated to the entire body.
    • The prodrug then preferentially diffuses into acidified compartments, where they are converted to their active form and irreversibly inhibit H+/K+ ATPase.
  2. Adverse effects
    • Common side effects are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
    • Rare but serious side effects are rhabdomyolysis and drug induced acute interstitial nephritis.
  3. It is theoretically more advantageous to administer PPIs as an infusion than as a bolus because they only inhibit pumps that are actively secreting acid (only a small proportion of pumps are active at a time while the patient is fasting, so administration as an infusion leads to more pumps being inhibited)
Pharmacokinetics
  1. Can be administered PO or IV
  2. It is only administered as a prodrug. It should be given 1 hour before meals as the bioavailability is reduced by 50% due to crushing of enteric coating.
    • It is also inactivated by stomach acid.
  3. T ½ is short, but the proton pumps are irreversibly inhibited and need 18 hours to regenerate (the drug has a short T ½ but a long duration of effect). Full acid inhibition occurs in 3-4 days.