Assignment Preview

Title: Medication Research

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Assignment Goals
Source Material
Guiding Questions
Writing Prompt
Calibrations, Average Word Count, and Answer Keys

Assignment Goals

Through this assignment, you are expected to address four of the five major course goals for Human Physiology, Biol310. So far, we have worked mainly on FLOW. Your medication research will probably not address flow. Instead, you will explore four new objectives:

  1. You will describe a human stimulus/response system.
  2. You will identify an example of homeostasis (and that is NOT equilibrium).
  3. You will show that you know how to find the extent and limits to our knowledge.
  4. You will build new knowledge that you will use to make significant choices and to connect what you are learning in Physiology to the real world.

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Source Material

Many drugs are receptor agonists/antagonists that alter messages sent along signal transduction cascades (Refer to Chapter 6, Figure 6-4, on page 152 of your textbook). These drugs work by altering transmission or reception of chemical messages, usually in either the nervous system or the endocrine system. You will find many resources on drug information under external links within CourseInfo.

You must include a bibliography with two recommended web resource URLs. Cite these resources using the "Beyond the MLA Handbook: Documenting Electronic Sources on the Internet" available under the Columbia Guide to On-line Style at

http://www.library.fullerton.edu/cybercites.htm

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Source Material Resources:
EXAMPLES of new signal transduction drugs: - assignment resource
URL: http://php.iupui.edu/~edbiomed/Biomedical_Connections.html

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Guiding Questions

You are to write a one page drug description for one medication, including the following details:

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Writing Prompt

TASK: Write a one page (200 and 500 words) drug description for a new medication. Write your description so that a classmate will understand how that medication alters the physiology in the body.

Your assignment is to research a medical problem that is important to you, to find out what new medication is used to treat this problem. You will write and then submit a drug description page electronically. Your written assignment must be between 200 and 500 words, including Bibliography (Be concise!). You must submit your work via CPR by the deadline.

Your drug description will be evaluated and then returned to you to be copied and pasted into your personal BIOL310 home page, so be ready to explain the reason for your topic choice.

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Calibrations and Answer Keys

Average Calibration Word Count = 279
High Quality Calibration

AndroGel is a testosterone gel that is rubbed into the skin as a hormone replacement for men who have deficient testosterone levels. The chemical formula for testosterone, a steroid hormone, is C19H28O2 and the molecular weight is 288.42. Testosterone is the principal male sex hormone, an anabolic steroid necessary for the development of the external genitals and, at puberty, for male secondary sexual characteristics. In men with low testosterone levels such as from congenital testicular failure, Klinefelter's syndrome, or toxic effects of alcohol or heavy metals on the testes, AndroGel returns testosterone levels to normal.

Androgen hormones such as testosterone are responsible for the secondary sexual characteristics such as growth and maturation of the prostate, testicles, penis, facial and pubic hair, vocal cord thickening, and development of the musculature. Testosterone is an androgen signal that is normally produced by the testes. The problems with low androgen levels include impotence, fatigue and loss of energy, mood depression, and osteoporosis. With skin exposure to AndroGel, testosterone release by the testes is inhibited through feedback inhibition that prevents the pituitary from releasing luteinizing hormone (LH). Large doses of AndroGel can also inhibit spermatogenesis through feedback inhibition of pituitary follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) release. So AndroGel alters the normal hormone balance.

Testosterone from AndroGel is absorbed into the blood through the skin and then it binds to sex hormone binding globulins (SHBG) in the blood. In pre-pubertal children and aged men, SHBG bound testosterone is high and this keeps the testosterone activity low. Men with lower SHBG steroid hormone binding have more free steroid hormone that can bind to steroid hormone recepter proteins in the cytoplasm of cells. The hormone crosses through the cell membrane and binds the receptor. This steroid hormone receptor complex is transported to the nucleus where it initiates gene transcription, turning on the genes that will result in the androgen dependent responses (for example, increased muscle mass).

AndroGel results in increased total body mass and lean body mass, while total body fat mass and percent body fat decrease. Treatment also was associated with positive effects on mood and fatigue. Serum estradiol levels also increased within 30 days of AndroGel treatment. Serum levels of FSH and LH dropped with AndroGel treatment. Female partners of males treated with AndroGel showed increased levels of serum androgens. Prostate cancer, breast development, edema, and sleep apnea can be negative consequences associated with AndroGel treatment.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/12754.html

Unimed products: http://www.unimed.com/prodindx.html

Androgel: http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2000/21015lbl.pdf
1. Does the text include at least TWO URL references for this drug and when these URL references are copied and pasted into the "Location:" line of a browser, does that browser connect to a resource that provides information about this drug? (HINT: open a second browser window, copy, and paste the URL in order to test your answer to this question)

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/12754.html
2. Are there sentence fragments?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : none
3. Are there spelling errors? (HINT: copy the text and paste it into a word processing file, then use the spell check feature.)

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : none
4. Is the text coherent, integrated, and does it flow in logical order?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : none
5. Does the text include some chemical description of the drug?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

AndroGel is a testosterone gel that is rubbed into the skin as a hormone replacement for men who have deficient
6. Does the text describe some signal target or receptor?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

AndroGel is a testosterone gel that is rubbed into the skin as a hormone replacement for men who have deficient
7. Does the text describe a signal source?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

AndroGel is a testosterone gel that is rubbed into the skin as a hormone replacement for men who have deficient
8. Does the text describe a target response to the signal?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

AndroGel is a testosterone gel that is rubbed into the skin as a hormone replacement for men who have deficient
9. Does the text describe what is known about the mode of action for this drug, and does that mode of action make sense in relationship to the normal physiologic signals and responses?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

AndroGel is a testosterone gel that is rubbed into the skin as a hormone replacement for men who have deficient
10. Does the text describe a clear picture of how this drug alters normal body responses?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

AndroGel is a testosterone gel that is rubbed into the skin as a hormone replacement for men who have deficient
11. How would you rate this text?
10 Highest
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 Lowest
Rating: 9
Feedback : There are too many responses to testosterone to list ALL in detail, but this text describes the mode of action of testosterone in detail, and then lists some of the target responses that result from the action of testosterone on target tissues.

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Mid Quality Calibration

Ditropan XL has a molecular weight of 393.9 and a molecular formula of C22H31NO3HCl. This drug is used by patients with bladder control problems, and it works by relaxing bladder smooth muscle. Involuntary bladder smooth muscle contractions and this causes incontinent episodes (micturition). Ditropan exerts both direct anti-spasmodic effect on the smooth muscle and it also inhibits the acetylcholine neuromuscular signals for the bladder smooth muscle to contract. Acetylcholine binds smooth muscle membrane receptors that respond with IP3 signals to open sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channels. Calcium binds with calmodulin in the cytoplasm to activate the myosin light chain kinase enzyme that phosphorylates the regulatory light chain of myosin. Cross bridge cycling and contraction of the bladder smooth muscle cells. By blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the smooth muscle cell receptor, ditropan inhibits the calcium signal that causes smooth muscle contraction. Ditropan does not inhibit neuromuscular junctions on skeletal muscle or the autonomic nerve ganglia.

In a study comparing placebo to ditropan XL, both treatments were effective at reducing the weekly number of incontinent episodes, but ditropan XL was more effective than the placebo. Ditropan reduced the number of urge urinary incompetent episodes by 16 episodes. The placebo by 8 episodes.

Alza pharmaceuticals, March 11, 2000, http://www.ditropn.com/consumer/ditropanxl.htm
1. Does the text include at least TWO URL references for this drug and when these URL references are copied and pasted into the "Location:" line of a browser, does that browser connect to a resource that provides information about this drug? (HINT: open a second browser window, copy, and paste the URL in order to test your answer to this question)

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback :

No - only one URL reference is listed and this URL does not connect to a web page.
2. Are there sentence fragments?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

Ditropan XL has a molecular weight of 393.9 and a molecular formula of C22H31NO3HCl. This drug is used by patients with bladder control problems, and it works by relaxing bladder smooth muscle. Involuntary bladder smooth muscle contractions and this causes incontinent episodes (micturition).

Ditropan XL has a molecular weight of 393.9 and a molecular formula of C22H31NO3HCl. This drug is used by patients with bladder control problems, and it works by relaxing bladder smooth muscle. Involuntary bladder smooth muscle contractions and this causes incontinent episodes (micturition). Ditropan exerts both direct anti-spasmodic effect on the smooth muscle and it also inhibits the acetylcholine neuromuscular signals for the bladder smooth muscle to contract. Acetylcholine binds smooth muscle membrane receptors that respond with IP3 signals to open sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channels. Calcium binds with calmodulin in the cytoplasm to activate the myosin light chain kinase enzyme that phosphorylates the regulatory light chain of myosin. Cross bridge cycling and contraction of the bladder smooth muscle cells. By blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the smooth muscle cell receptor, ditropan inhibits the calcium signal that causes smooth muscle contraction. Ditropan does not inhibit neuromuscular junctions on skeletal muscle or the autonomic nerve ganglia.
3. Are there spelling errors? (HINT: copy the text and paste it into a word processing file, then use the spell check feature.)

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : none
4. Is the text coherent, integrated, and does it flow in logical order?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback : none
5. Does the text include some chemical description of the drug?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

Ditropan XL has a molecular weight of 393.9 and a molecular formula of C22H31NO3HCl. This drug is used by patients with bladder control problems, and it works by relaxing bladder smooth muscle. Involuntary bladder smooth muscle contractions and this causes incontinent episodes (micturition). Ditropan exerts both direct anti-spasmodic effect on the smooth muscle and it also inhibits the acetylcholine neuromuscular signals for the bladder smooth muscle to contract. Acetylcholine binds smooth muscle membrane receptors that respond with IP3 signals to open sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channels. Calcium binds with calmodulin in the cytoplasm to activate the myosin light chain kinase enzyme that phosphorylates the regulatory light chain of myosin. Cross bridge cycling and contraction of the bladder smooth muscle cells. By blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the smooth muscle cell receptor, ditropan inhibits the calcium signal that causes smooth muscle contraction. Ditropan does not inhibit neuromuscular junctions on skeletal muscle or the autonomic nerve ganglia.
6. Does the text describe some signal target or receptor?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

Ditropan XL has a molecular weight of 393.9 and a molecular formula of C22H31NO3HCl. This drug is used by patients with bladder control problems, and it works by relaxing bladder smooth muscle. Involuntary bladder smooth muscle contractions and this causes incontinent episodes (micturition). Ditropan exerts both direct anti-spasmodic effect on the smooth muscle and it also inhibits the acetylcholine neuromuscular signals for the bladder smooth muscle to contract. Acetylcholine binds smooth muscle membrane receptors that respond with IP3 signals to open sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channels. Calcium binds with calmodulin in the cytoplasm to activate the myosin light chain kinase enzyme that phosphorylates the regulatory light chain of myosin. Cross bridge cycling and contraction of the bladder smooth muscle cells. By blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the smooth muscle cell receptor, ditropan inhibits the calcium signal that causes smooth muscle contraction. Ditropan does not inhibit neuromuscular junctions on skeletal muscle or the autonomic nerve ganglia.
7. Does the text describe a signal source?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

Ditropan XL has a molecular weight of 393.9 and a molecular formula of C22H31NO3HCl. This drug is used by patients with bladder control problems, and it works by relaxing bladder smooth muscle. Involuntary bladder smooth muscle contractions and this causes incontinent episodes (micturition). Ditropan exerts both direct anti-spasmodic effect on the smooth muscle and it also inhibits the acetylcholine neuromuscular signals for the bladder smooth muscle to contract. Acetylcholine binds smooth muscle membrane receptors that respond with IP3 signals to open sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channels. Calcium binds with calmodulin in the cytoplasm to activate the myosin light chain kinase enzyme that phosphorylates the regulatory light chain of myosin. Cross bridge cycling and contraction of the bladder smooth muscle cells. By blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the smooth muscle cell receptor, ditropan inhibits the calcium signal that causes smooth muscle contraction. Ditropan does not inhibit neuromuscular junctions on skeletal muscle or the autonomic nerve ganglia.
8. Does the text describe a target response to the signal?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

Ditropan XL has a molecular weight of 393.9 and a molecular formula of C22H31NO3HCl. This drug is used by patients with bladder control problems, and it works by relaxing bladder smooth muscle. Involuntary bladder smooth muscle contractions and this causes incontinent episodes (micturition). Ditropan exerts both direct anti-spasmodic effect on the smooth muscle and it also inhibits the acetylcholine neuromuscular signals for the bladder smooth muscle to contract. Acetylcholine binds smooth muscle membrane receptors that respond with IP3 signals to open sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channels. Calcium binds with calmodulin in the cytoplasm to activate the myosin light chain kinase enzyme that phosphorylates the regulatory light chain of myosin. Cross bridge cycling and contraction of the bladder smooth muscle cells. By blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the smooth muscle cell receptor, ditropan inhibits the calcium signal that causes smooth muscle contraction. Ditropan does not inhibit neuromuscular junctions on skeletal muscle or the autonomic nerve ganglia.
9. Does the text describe what is known about the mode of action for this drug, and does that mode of action make sense in relationship to the normal physiologic signals and responses?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

Ditropan XL has a molecular weight of 393.9 and a molecular formula of C22H31NO3HCl. This drug is used by patients with bladder control problems, and it works by relaxing bladder smooth muscle. Involuntary bladder smooth muscle contractions and this causes incontinent episodes (micturition). Ditropan exerts both direct anti-spasmodic effect on the smooth muscle and it also inhibits the acetylcholine neuromuscular signals for the bladder smooth muscle to contract. Acetylcholine binds smooth muscle membrane receptors that respond with IP3 signals to open sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channels. Calcium binds with calmodulin in the cytoplasm to activate the myosin light chain kinase enzyme that phosphorylates the regulatory light chain of myosin. Cross bridge cycling and contraction of the bladder smooth muscle cells. By blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the smooth muscle cell receptor, ditropan inhibits the calcium signal that causes smooth muscle contraction. Ditropan does not inhibit neuromuscular junctions on skeletal muscle or the autonomic nerve ganglia.
10. Does the text describe a clear picture of how this drug alters normal body responses?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

Ditropan XL has a molecular weight of 393.9 and a molecular formula of C22H31NO3HCl. This drug is used by patients with bladder control problems, and it works by relaxing bladder smooth muscle. Involuntary bladder smooth muscle contractions and this causes incontinent episodes (micturition). Ditropan exerts both direct anti-spasmodic effect on the smooth muscle and it also inhibits the acetylcholine neuromuscular signals for the bladder smooth muscle to contract. Acetylcholine binds smooth muscle membrane receptors that respond with IP3 signals to open sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium channels. Calcium binds with calmodulin in the cytoplasm to activate the myosin light chain kinase enzyme that phosphorylates the regulatory light chain of myosin. Cross bridge cycling and contraction of the bladder smooth muscle cells. By blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the smooth muscle cell receptor, ditropan inhibits the calcium signal that causes smooth muscle contraction. Ditropan does not inhibit neuromuscular junctions on skeletal muscle or the autonomic nerve ganglia.
11. How would you rate this text?
10 Highest
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 Lowest
Rating: 7
Feedback : This text has good content, but the references and language use are deficient.

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Low Quality Calibration

COMTAN is a Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the enzyme that chemically changes and inactivates neurotransmiters called catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). The COMT enzyme is normaly found in the heart, lung, smooth and skeletal muscles, intestine, reproductive organs, glands, adipose tissues (fat), skin, blod cells, and the glial cells of the nervous sysem. So COMTAN inhibits neurotransmitter stimulation of the target recepter nerve at all these tissues.

COMTAN is used to treat symtoms of patience with Parkinson's disease, so it blocks neurotransmitter signals at al the tissue locations listed. People with Parkinson's disease normaly shake, suggesting that they don't have enough neurotransmitter for good control. For example, COMT activity was shown to be inhibited in red blood cells from patients who had taken COMTAN, indicating that nerve activity to red blood cels was blocked.

The ingredients in a COMTAN tablet are cellulose, sugars, hydrogenated vegetble oil, glycerol, magnesium stearate, iron oxide, and titanium dioxide. This can cause low blood pressure when a patient gets up quickly when they are taking COMTAN. Ten percent of patience treated with COMTAN experienced disrrhea, while 4% experienced hallucinations. Patience should not drive or handle heavy machinerary until they find out how their body responds to COMTEN treatment.
1. Does the text include at least TWO URL references for this drug and when these URL references are copied and pasted into the "Location:" line of a browser, does that browser connect to a resource that provides information about this drug? (HINT: open a second browser window, copy, and paste the URL in order to test your answer to this question)

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : none
2. Are there sentence fragments?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback : none
3. Are there spelling errors? (HINT: copy the text and paste it into a word processing file, then use the spell check feature.)

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

COMTAN is a Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the enzyme that chemically changes and inactivates neurotransmiters called catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). The COMT enzyme is normaly found in the heart, lung, smooth and skeletal muscles, intestine, reproductive organs, glands, adipose tissues (fat), skin, blod cells, and the glial cells of the nervous sysem. So COMTAN inhibits neurotransmitter stimulation of the target recepter nerve at all these tissues.
4. Is the text coherent, integrated, and does it flow in logical order?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback :

COMTAN is a Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the enzyme that chemically changes and inactivates neurotransmiters called catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). The COMT enzyme is normaly found in the heart, lung, smooth and skeletal muscles, intestine, reproductive organs, glands, adipose tissues (fat), skin, blod cells, and the glial cells of the nervous sysem. So COMTAN inhibits neurotransmitter stimulation of the target recepter nerve at all these tissues.
5. Does the text include some chemical description of the drug?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback :

COMTAN is a Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the enzyme that chemically changes and inactivates neurotransmiters called catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). The COMT enzyme is normaly found in the heart, lung, smooth and skeletal muscles, intestine, reproductive organs, glands, adipose tissues (fat), skin, blod cells, and the glial cells of the nervous sysem. So COMTAN inhibits neurotransmitter stimulation of the target recepter nerve at all these tissues.
6. Does the text describe some signal target or receptor?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

COMTAN is a Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the enzyme that chemically changes and inactivates neurotransmiters called catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). The COMT enzyme is normaly found in the heart, lung, smooth and skeletal muscles, intestine, reproductive organs, glands, adipose tissues (fat), skin, blod cells, and the glial cells of the nervous sysem. So COMTAN inhibits neurotransmitter stimulation of the target recepter nerve at all these tissues.
7. Does the text describe a signal source?

Yes
No

Answer: Yes
Feedback :

COMTAN is a Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the enzyme that chemically changes and inactivates neurotransmiters called catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). The COMT enzyme is normaly found in the heart, lung, smooth and skeletal muscles, intestine, reproductive organs, glands, adipose tissues (fat), skin, blod cells, and the glial cells of the nervous sysem. So COMTAN inhibits neurotransmitter stimulation of the target recepter nerve at all these tissues.
8. Does the text describe a target response to the signal?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback :

COMTAN is a Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the enzyme that chemically changes and inactivates neurotransmiters called catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). The COMT enzyme is normaly found in the heart, lung, smooth and skeletal muscles, intestine, reproductive organs, glands, adipose tissues (fat), skin, blod cells, and the glial cells of the nervous sysem. So COMTAN inhibits neurotransmitter stimulation of the target recepter nerve at all these tissues.
9. Does the text describe what is known about the mode of action for this drug, and does that mode of action make sense in relationship to the normal physiologic signals and responses?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback :

COMTAN is a Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the enzyme that chemically changes and inactivates neurotransmiters called catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). The COMT enzyme is normaly found in the heart, lung, smooth and skeletal muscles, intestine, reproductive organs, glands, adipose tissues (fat), skin, blod cells, and the glial cells of the nervous sysem. So COMTAN inhibits neurotransmitter stimulation of the target recepter nerve at all these tissues.
10. Does the text describe a clear picture of how this drug alters normal body responses?

Yes
No

Answer: No
Feedback :

This text provides explanations that are WRONG.

COMTAN is a Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the enzyme that chemically changes and inactivates neurotransmiters called catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). The COMT enzyme is normaly found in the heart, lung, smooth and skeletal muscles, intestine, reproductive organs, glands, adipose tissues (fat), skin, blod cells, and the glial cells of the nervous sysem. So COMTAN inhibits neurotransmitter stimulation of the target recepter nerve at all these tissues.
11. How would you rate this text?
10 Highest
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 Lowest
Rating: 3
Feedback : This text demonstrates incorrect interpretation of the concepts, due to muddy understanding of the signal/receptor/response concepts.


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