Medical Pharmacology: Antiviral Drug Practice Questions

Medical Pharmacology: Antiviral Drug Practice Questions

Click on the correct answer.

Zidovudine (AZT,Retrovir):
1. Substrate for thymidine kinase responsible for phosphorylation intracellularly of AZT to AZT monophosphate.
2. Thymidylate kinase converts the monophosphate form to a diphosphate form.
3. Nucleoside diphosphate kinase converts the diphosphate AZT form to the active triphosphate.
4. A & B
5. B & C
6. A & C
7. A, B & C
Zidovudine (AZT) following phosphorylation accumulates selectively in HIV-viral infected cells.
1. True
2. False
Zidovudine (AZT) triphosphate:
1. Inhibits to a comparable extent both HIV reverse transcriptase and human DNA polymerases.
2. Zidovudine (AZT), when used as monotherapy for HIV treatment, is associated with rapid drug-resistance. This resistance is due to HIV gene mutations that code for the viral reverse transcriptase.
3. Both
4. Neither
Zidovudine (Azidothymidine; AZT):
1. Is a deoxythymidine analog.
2. Generally well absorbed (about 60%) and broadly distributed in the body, including the cerebrospinal fluid.
3. Both
4. Neither
Zidovudine (Retrovir; AZT):
1. First antiretroviral drug approved.
2. Use of zidovudine during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum suggest important decreases in transmission to the fetus/newborn (vertical transmission).
3. Both
4. Neither
Zidovudine (Retrovir, ACT) is a reasonable option for postexposure prevention for those exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
1. True
2. False
Zidovudine (AZT):
1. Mainly used in the pediatric setting because of potential toxicities in adults.
2. Zidovudine is available in combination (coformulated tablets) with either lamivudine or with the combination of lamivudine and abacavir.
3. Both
4. Neither
Zidovudine triphosphate (the active form of the drug):
1. Weak inhibitor of cellular DNA polymerase.
2. Comparably strong inhibitor of certain mitochondrial polymerase (γ form)
3. Both
4. Neither
Zidovudine pharmacokinetics:
1. Rapid absorption with peak levels obtained within about an hour.
2. Zidovudine pharmacokinetics do not appear to be affected by pregnancy.
3. Zidovudine concentrations are similar between that observed in the mother and in the newborn.
4. A & B
5. B & C
6. A & C
7. A, B & C
Some early zidovudine side effects include fatigue, myalgia, anorexia, and insomnia (partial list).
1. True
2. False

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Source Material:

Acosta EP Chapter 62 Antiviral Agents (Nonretroviral) in Goodman & Gilman's: The Pharmcological Basis of Therapeutics, 14e, (Brunton LL Knollmann BC eds) McGraw-Hill Education, 2023.

Safrin S Chapter 49 Antiviral Agents in Basic & Clinical Pharmacology (Katzung BG, Editor; Vanderah TW, Associate editor) 15e McGraw Hill 2021.

Li JZ Coen DM Chapter 38 Pharmacology of Viral Infections in Principles of Pharmacology: The Pathophysiologic Basis of Drug Therapy 4e (Golan DE Armstong EJ Armstrong AW, eds) Wolters Kluwer 2017.

Waller DB Sampson AP Section 11 Chemotherapy in Medical Pharmacology & Therapeutics Elsevier 2018.

Burchum JR Rosenthal LD Chapter 97 Antiviral Agents I: Drugs for Non-HIV Viral Infections in Lehne's Pharmacology for Nursing Care Elsevier 2022.

Waller DB Sampson AP Section 11: Chapter 51 Chemotherapy of infections in Medical Pharmacology & Therapeutics Elsevier 2018.

Benavides S Bahal O'Mara N Nahata MC Chapter 79 Viral Infections in Applied Therapeutics: The Clinical Use of Drugs (Zeind C, Carvalho MG Cheng JW Zaiken K Lapointe T, eds) Wolters Kluwer, 2024.

Davanathan AS Symonds AE Adams JL Cottrell ML Chapter 76 Pharmacotherapy of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Applied Therapeutics: The Clinical Use of Drugs (Zeind C, Carvalho MG Cheng JW Zaiken K Lapointe T, eds) Wolters Kluwer, 2024.

Flexner CW Chapter 64 Antiretroviral Agents and Treatment of HIV Infection in Goodman & Gilman's: The Pharmcological Basis of Therapeutics, 14e, (Brunton LL Knollmann BC eds) McGraw-Hill Education, 2023.

Burchum JR Rosenthal LD Chapter 98 Antiviral Agents II: Drugs for HIV Infection and Related Opportunistic Infections in Lehne's Pharmacology for Nursing Care Elsevier 2022.