CYTARABINE Uses, Side Effects, and More

 CYTARABINE

BRAND NAME:- CYTABIN, CYTOSAR,BIOBIN, REMCYTA 100,500,1000mg inj .

CYTARABINE, also known as cytosine arabinoside, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is given by injection into a vein, under the skin, or into the cerebrospinal fluid. 

PHARMACODYNAMIC:- 

Cytarabine is an antineoplastic anti-metabolite used in the treatment of several forms of leukemia including acute myelogenous leukemia and meningeal leukemia. Anti-metabolites masquerade as purine or pyrimidine - which become the building blocks of DNA. They prevent these substances becoming incorporated in to DNA during the "S" phase (of the cell cycle), stopping normal development and division. Cytarabine is metabolized intracellularly into its active triphosphate form (cytosine arabinoside triphosphate). This metabolite then damages DNA by multiple mechanisms, including the inhibition of alpha-DNA polymerase, inhibition of DNA repair through an effect on beta-DNA polymerase, and incorporation into DNA. The latter mechanism is probably the most important. Cytotoxicity is highly specific for the S phase of the cell cycle.

MECHANISM OF ACTION:- 

Cytarabine acts through direct DNA damage and incorporation into DNA. Cytarabine is cytotoxic to a wide variety of proliferating mammalian cells in culture. It exhibits cell phase specificity, primarily killing cells undergoing DNA synthesis (S-phase) and under certain conditions blocking the progression of cells from the G1 phase to the S-phase. Although the mechanism of action is not completely understood, it appears that cytarabine acts through the inhibition of DNA polymerase. A limited, but significant, incorporation of cytarabine into both DNA and RNA has also been reported.

USED:- 

Cytarabine is used to treat various types of cancer. It is a chemotherapy drug that works by slowing or stopping cancer cell growth.

SIDE EFFECTS:- 

Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, and pain/swelling/redness at the injection site may occur. Nausea and vomiting can be severe.

Major toxic effects are due to bone marrow suppression – leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, anaemia and mucositis, dairrhoea.

DOSE:- 

ONCE OR TWICE DAILY FOR 5-10DAYS, OR BY CONTINUOUS I .V. infusion over 5-7 days. A High dose regimen of 1-3 g/day has also been used.