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Encyclopedia > Methotrexate
Methotrexate
Systematic (IUPAC) name
(S)-2-(4-(((2,4-diaminopteridin-6-yl)
methyl)methylamino)benzamido)
pentanedioic acid
Identifiers
CAS number 59-05-2
ATC code L01BA01 L04AX03
PubChem 126941
DrugBank APRD00353
Chemical data
Formula C20H22N8O5 
Mol. mass 454.44 g/mol
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability 17–90%
Metabolism hepatic
Half life 3–15 hours (dose dependent)
Excretion renal 48–100%
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.

D(AU) X(US) Aminopterin (4-aminopteroic acid), a 4-amino analog of folic acid, is an antineoplastic drug with immunosuppressive properties used in chemotherapy. ... Methotrexate, drawn on OpenOffice. ... IUPAC nomenclature is a system of naming chemical compounds and of describing the science of chemistry in general. ... In chemistry a methyl-group is a hydrophobic Alkyl functional group which is derived from methane (CH4). ... CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences, mixtures and alloys. ... The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System is used for the classification of drugs. ... A section of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System. ... A section of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System. ... PubChem is a database of chemical molecules. ... The DrugBank database available at the University of Alberta is a unique bioinformatics and cheminformatics resource that combines detailed drug (i. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Carbon (disambiguation). ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ... General Name, symbol, number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, period, block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless gas Standard atomic weight 14. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... The molecular mass (abbreviated Mr) of a substance, formerly also called molecular weight and abbreviated as MW, is the mass of one molecule of that substance, relative to the unified atomic mass unit u (equal to 1/12 the mass of one atom of carbon-12). ... In pharmacology, bioavailability is used to describe the fraction of an administered dose of unchanged drug that reaches the systemic circulation, one of the principal pharmacokinetic properties of drugs. ... Drug metabolism is the metabolism of drugs, their biochemical modification or degradation, usually through specialized enzymatic systems. ... The liver is an organ in vertebrates including humans. ... It has been suggested that Effective half-life be merged into this article or section. ... Excretion is the process of eliminating waste products of metabolism and other materials that are of no use. ... Kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed The kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs in vertebrates. ... The pregnancy category of a pharmaceutical agent is an assessment of the risk of fetal injury due to the pharmaceutical, if it is used as directed by the mother during pregnancy. ... For other uses, see Australia (disambiguation). ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

Legal status

Prescription Only (S4)(AU) POM(UK) -only(US) The regulation of therapeutic goods, that is drugs and therapeutic devices, varies by jurisdiction. ... The Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons, abbreviated SUSDP, is a document used in the regulation of drugs and poisons in Australia. ... For other uses, see Australia (disambiguation). ... A prescription drug is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a prescription before it can be obtained. ... A prescription drug is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a prescription before it can be obtained. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

Routes oral, IV, IM, SC, intrathecal

Methotrexate (rINN) (IPA: [mɛθəˈtrɛkseɪt]), abbreviated MTX and formerly known as amethopterin, is an antimetabolite and antifolate drug used in treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. It acts by inhibiting the metabolism of folic acid. Methotrexate replaced the more powerful and toxic antifolate aminopterin, and the two should not be confused with each other. In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the path by which a drug, fluid, poison or other substance is brought into contact with the body 1. ... An intravenous drip in a hospital Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the administration of liquid substances directly into a vein. ... Intramuscular injection is an injection of a substance directly into a muscle. ... The subcutis is the layer of tissue directly underlying the cutis. ... Intrathecal: Delivered into the spinal canal (intrathecal space surrounding the spinal cord), as in a spinal anaesthesia. ... An International Nonproprietary Name (INN) is the official non-proprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as designated by the World Health Organization. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... An antimetabolite is a chemical with a similar structure to a substance (a metabolite) required for normal biochemical reactions, yet different enough to interfere with the normal functions of cells, including cell division. ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. ... Folic acid and folate (the anion form) are forms of the water-soluble Vitamin B9. ... Aminopterin (4-aminopteroic acid), a 4-amino analog of folic acid, is an antineoplastic drug with immunosuppressive properties used in chemotherapy. ...

Contents

History

Methotrexate originated in the 1940s when Sidney Farber at Children's Hospital Boston was testing the effects of folic acid on cancer. This inspired chemists at the drug company Lederle to start looking for antimetabolites resembling folate. The result was methotrexate, which was developed in 1948 by Yellapragada Subbarao from Lederle. Methotrexate gained Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval as an oncology drug in 1953. Dr Sydney Farber, after whom the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is named Sidney Farber was a pediatric pathologist. ... Childrens Hospital Boston is a hospital located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, adjacent to Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School. ... Folic acid and folate (the anion form) are forms of the water-soluble Vitamin B9. ... Yellapragada Subbarao (Subba Row or Subba Rao) (January 12, 1895-August 1948) born to a very poor family in South India, he remains in the views of many the most notable medical scientist to emerge from India. ... hi “FDA” redirects here. ...


Uses

In chemotherapy

Methotrexate was originally used, as part of combination chemotherapy regimens, to treat many kinds of cancers. It is still the mainstay for the treatment of many neoplastic disorders including acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... Neoplasia (literally: new growth) is sudden and abnormal growth in a tissue or organ. ... Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), also known as acute lymphocytic leukemia, is a form of leukemia, characterised by the overproduction and continuous multiplication of malignant and immature white blood cells (also known as lymphoblasts) in the bone marrow. ...


Other uses

More recently it has come into use as a treatment for some autoimmune diseases, including ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis (see disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs). A parallel use with TNFα blockers as infliximab or etanercept has been shown to markedly improve symptoms.[1] Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. ... Crohns disease (also known as regional enteritis) is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by transmural inflammation (affecting the entire wall of the involved bowel) and skip lesions (areas of inflammation with areas of normal lining between). ... Psoriatic arthritis (or Arthropathic psoriasis) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects around 20% of people suffering from the chronic skin condition Psoriasis. ... Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is traditionally considered a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. ... Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs is a category of drugs used in many autoimmune diseases to slow down disease progression. ... In medicine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα, cachexin or cachectin) is an important cytokine involved in systemic inflammation and the acute phase response. ... Infliximab (brand name Remicade®) is a drug used to treat auto-immune disorders. ... Etanercept (Enbrel®, co-marketed by Amgen and Wyeth) is a human recombinant, soluble tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) receptor. ...


Although not indicated for this use, methotrexate is also sometimes used (generally in combination with misoprostol) to terminate early pregnancies, particularly ectopic pregnancies. Misoprostol is a drug that is United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the treatment and prevention of stomach ulcers. ... This article is about human pregnancy in biological females. ...


Pharmacokinetics

Methotrexate is a weak dicarboxylic acid with pKa 4.8 and 5.5, and thus it is mostly ionized at physiologic pH. Oral absorption is saturatable and thus dose-dependent, with doses less than 40mg/M2 having 42% bioavailability and doses greater than 40mg/M2 only 18%. Mean oral bioavailability is 33% (13-76% range), and there is no clear benefit to subdividing an oral dose. Mean intramuscular bioavailability is 76%. The acid dissociation constant (Ka), also known as the acidity constant or the acid-ionization constant, is a specific equilibrium constant for the reaction of an acid with its conjugate base in aqueous solution [1]. // When an acid dissolves in water, it partly dissociates forming hydronium ions and its conjugate... Ionization is the physical process of converting an atom or molecule into an ion by changing the difference between the number of protons and electrons. ...


Methotrexate is metabolized by intestinal bacteria to the inactive metabolite 4-amino-4-deoxy-N-methylpteroic acid (DAMPA) and accounts for less than 5% loss of the oral dose.


Factors that decrease absorption include food, oral non-absorbable antibiotics (e.g. vancomycin, neomycin, and bacitracin), and more rapid transit through the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract such as diarrhea, while slower transit time in the GI tract from constipation will increase absorption.


Administration

It can be taken orally or administered by injection (subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous or intrathecal). Although daily preparations are occasionally used, most patients take weekly doses, which decreases the risk of certain side-effects. Intramuscular injection is an injection of a substance directly into a muscle. ... An intravenous drip in a hospital Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the administration of liquid substances directly into a vein. ... Intrathecal: Delivered into the spinal canal (intrathecal space surrounding the spinal cord), as in a spinal anaesthesia. ...


Adverse effects

Possible side effects can include anemia, neutropenia, increased risk of bruising, nausea and vomiting, dermatitis and diarrhea. A small percentage of patients develop hepatitis, and there is an increased risk of pulmonary fibrosis. This article discusses the medical condition. ... Neutropenia (or neutropaenia, adjective neutrop(a)enic) is a hematological disorder characterized by an abnormally low number of neutrophil granulocytes (a type of white blood cell). ... A bruise or contusion or ecchymoses is a kind of injury, usually caused by blunt impact, in which the capillaries are damaged, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding tissue. ... For other uses, see Nausea (disambiguation). ... Vomiting (also throwing up or emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of ones stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. ... Dermatitis is a blanket term literally meaning inflammation of the skin. It is usually used to refer to eczema, which is also known as Dermatitis eczema. ... Types 5-7 on the Bristol Stool Chart are often associated with diarrhea Diarrhea (in American English) or diarrhoea (in British English) is a condition in which the sufferer has frequent watery, loose bowel movements (from the Greek word διάρροια; literally meaning through-flowing). Acute infectious diarrhea is a common cause... Hepatitis (plural hepatitides) implies injury to liver characterised by presence of inflammatory cells in the liver tissue. ... Diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD), also known as interstitial lung disease, refers to a group of lung diseases, affecting the alveolar epithelium, pulmonary capillary endothelium, basement membrane, perivascular and perilymphatic tissues. ...


The higher doses of methotrexate often used in cancer chemotherapy can cause toxic effects to the rapidly-dividing cells of bone marrow and gastrointestinal mucosa. The resulting myelosuppression and mucositis are often prevented (termed methotrexate "rescue") by using folinic acid supplements (not to be confused with folic acid). This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the Physics term GUT, please refer to Grand unification theory The gastrointestinal or digestive tract, also referred to as the GI tract or the alimentary canal or the gut, is the system of organs within multicellular animals which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and... The mucous membranes (or mucosa) are linings of ectodermic origin, covered in epithelium, that line various body cavities and internal organs. ... Mucositis is the painful inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract. ... Folinic acid (INN) or leucovorin (USAN), generally administered as calcium folinate (or leucovorin calcium), is an adjuvant used in cancer chemotherapy involving the drug methotrexate. ... Folic acid and folate (the anion form) are forms of the water-soluble Vitamin B9. ...


Methotrexate is a highly teratogenic drug and categorized in Pregnancy Category X by the FDA. Women must not take the drug during pregnancy, if there is a risk of becoming pregnant, or if they are breastfeeding. Men who are trying to get their partner pregnant must also not take the drug. To engage in any of these activities (after discontinuing the drug), women must wait until the end of a full ovulation cycle and men must wait three months. Teratogenesis is a medical term from the Greek, literally meaning monster making. ... The pregnancy category of a pharmaceutical agent is an assessment of the risk of fetal injury due to the pharmaceutical, if it is used as directed by the mother during pregnancy. ...


There is a risk of a severe adverse reaction if penicillin is prescribed alongside methotrexate. For the Japanese rock band, see Penicillin (band). ...


Interestingly, there have also been some reports of central nervous system reactions to methotrexate especially when given via the intrathecal route which include myelopathies and leucoencephalopathies.


Mode of action

Methotrexate competitively and reversibly inhibits dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an enzyme that is part of the folate synthesis metabolic pathway. The affinity of methotrexate for DHFR is about one thousand-fold that of folate for DHFR. Dihydrofolate reductase catalyses the conversion of dihydrofolate to the active tetrahydrofolate. Folic acid is needed for the de novo synthesis of the nucleoside thymidine, required for DNA synthesis. Methotrexate, therefore, inhibits the synthesis of DNA, RNA, thymidylates, and proteins. Categories: Biochemistry stubs | EC 1. ... Ribbon diagram of the enzyme TIM, surrounded by the space-filling model of the protein. ... Folic acid (the anion form is called folate) is a B-complex vitamin (once called vitamin M) that is important in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in the developing human fetus. ... Dihydrofolic acid is a folic acid derivative acted upon by dihydrofolate reductase. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles references may require cleanup. ... Nucleosides are glycosylamines made by attaching a nucleobase (often reffered to simply as bases) to a ribose ring. ... The chemical structure of deoxythymidine Thymidine (more precisely called deoxythymidine can also be labelled deoxyribosylthymine, and thymine deoxyriboside) is a chemical compound, more precisely a pyrimidine deoxynucleoside. ... DNA replication. ... The structure of part of a DNA double helix Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a nucleic acid molecule that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. ... Ribonucleic acid or RNA is a nucleic acid polymer consisting of nucleotide monomers that plays several important roles in the processes that translate genetic information from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into protein products; RNA acts as a messenger between DNA and the protein synthesis complexes known as ribosomes, forms vital portions... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ...


Methotrexate acts specifically during DNA and RNA synthesis, and thus it is cytotoxic during the S-phase of the cell cycle. Logically, it therefore has a greater toxic effect on rapidly dividing cells (such as malignant and myeloid cells, and GI & oral mucosa), which replicate their DNA more frequently, and thus inhibits the growth and proliferation of these non-cancerous cells as well causing side effects listed above. The cell cycle, or cell-division cycle, is the series of events that take place in a eukaryotic cell leading to its replication. ... In medicine, malignant is a clinical term that means to be severe and become progressively worse, as in malignant hypertension. ... Myeloid cells is a subsummating term for all hemopoietic cells except the lymphoid ones (T-cells, B-cells, NK-cells, dendritic cells). ...


Lower doses of methotrexate have been shown to be very effective for the management of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. In these cases inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is not thought to be the main mechanism, rather the inhibition of enzymes involved in purine metabolism, leading to accumulation of adenosine, or the inhibition of T cell activation and suppression of intercellular adhesion molecule expression by T cells.[2] Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is traditionally considered a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. ... Categories: Biochemistry stubs | EC 1. ... Ribbon diagram of the enzyme TIM, surrounded by the space-filling model of the protein. ... Adenosine is a nucleoside comprised of adenine attached to a ribose (ribofuranose) moiety via a β-N9-glycosidic bond. ... T cells are a subset of lymphocytes that play a large role in the immune response. ... Intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs) are molecules that promote adhesion between cells. ... T cells are a subset of lymphocytes that play a large role in the immune response. ...


References

  1. ^ Klareskog L, van der Heijde D, de Jager JP, Gough A, Kalden J, Malaise M, Martin Mola E, Pavelka K, Sany J, Settas L, Wajdula J, Pedersen R, Fatenejad S, Sanda M (2004). "Therapeutic effect of the combination of etanercept and methotrexate compared with each treatment alone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: double-blind randomised controlled trial". Lancet 363 (9410): 675-81. PMID 15001324. 
  2. ^ Johnston A, Gudjonsson JE, Sigmundsdottir H, Ludviksson BR, Valdimarsson H; (2005). "The anti-inflammatory action of methotrexate is not mediated by lymphocyte apoptosis, but by the suppression of activation and adhesion molecules". Clin Immunol. 114 (Feb.): 154-163. PMID 15639649. 

External links

  • Chembank entry on methotrexate
  • Haematologica review article on methotrexate
  • Methotrexate general article from NIH
  • Methotrexate for Cancer MedlinePlus article from NIH
  • Methotrexate Injection MedlinePlus article from NIH
  • Patient Education - Methotrexate from American College of Rheumatology
  • Methotrexate-resistant mutants of human dihydrofolate reductase for use as a selection marker in gene therapyas seen on Flintbox

  Results from FactBites:
 
Methotrexate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (693 words)
Methotrexate (rINN) (IPA: [mɛθəˈtrɛkseɪt]), abbreviated MTX and formerly known as amethopterin, is an antimetabolite drug used in treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Methotrexate competitively and reversibly inhibits dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an enzyme that is part of the folate synthesis metabolic pathway.
Methotrexate is cell cycle S-phase selective, and has a greater negative effect on rapidly dividing cells (such as malignant and myeloid cells), which are replicating their DNA, and thus inhibits the growth and proliferation of these cells.
Methotrexate Information on Healthline (1062 words)
Methotrexate is a folic acid derivative that interferes with folic acid metabolism (folate antagonist).
Methotrexate is a highly effective chemical compound that targets a specific enzyme required by cells for normalfunction.
Methotrexate may also be administered in a combination regimen with steroids to produce and maintain rapid remission of certain cancers or as part of an adjuvant therapy regimen with doxorubicin, cisplatin, or the BCD combination of bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, and dactinomycin.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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