Diuretic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A diuretic (colloquially called a water pill) is any drug or herb that elevates the rate of bodily urine excretion (diuresis). This can be done in many ways.
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[edit] High Ceiling Loop Diuretics
Drugs such as Furosemide inhibit the body's ability to reabsorb sodium at the ascending loop in the kidney which leads to a retention of water in the urine as water normally follows sodium back into the ECF. other example of drugs are etachrynic acid, toresemide and bumetanide.
[edit] Thiazides
Drugs such as Hydrochlorothiazide acts on the distal tubule and inhibits the Na-Cl symport which leads to a retention of water in the urine as water normally follows penetrating solutes.
[edit] Potassium Sparing Diuretics
Drugs such as Spironolactone is a competitive antagonist of aldosterone. Aldosterone which normally adds sodium channels at the collecting duct, is prevented from doing so.other example of drugs are amiloride and triamterine.
[edit] Osmotic Diuretics
Drugs such as Mannitol cannot be reabsorbed in the kidney which leads to an increase in osmolarity in the filtrate. This leads in the retention of water in the urine due to osmotic balance.
[edit] Uses
In medicine, diuretics are used to treat heart failure, liver cirrhosis, hypertension and certain kidney diseases. Some diuretics, such as acetazolamide, help to make the urine more alkaline and are helpful in increasing excretion of substances such as aspirin in cases of overdose or poisoning. Diuretics are often abused by sufferers of eating disorders, especially bulimics, in attempts at weight loss.
The antihypertensive actions of some diuretics (thiazides and loop diuretics in particular) are independent of their diuretic effect. That is, the reduction in blood pressure is not due to decreased blood volume resulting from increased urine production, but occurs through other mechanisms and at lower doses than that required to produce diuresis. Indapamide was specifically designed with this in mind, and has a larger therapeutic window for hypertension (without pronounced diuresis) than most other diuretics.
[edit] Mechanism of action
Chemically, diuretics are a diverse group of compounds that either stimulate or inhibit various hormones that naturally occur in the body to regulate urine production by the kidneys.
[edit] External links
| Antihypertensives (C02) and diuretics (C03) | |
|---|---|
| Antiadrenergic agents (including alpha) | Clonidine, Doxazosin, Guanethidine, Guanfacine, Lofexidine,Mecamylamine, Methyldopa, Moxonidine, Prazosin, Rescinnamine, Reserpine |
| Vasodilators | Diazoxide, Hydralazine, Minoxidil, Nitroprusside, Phentolamine |
| Other antihypertensives | Bosentan, Ketanserin |
| Low ceiling diuretics | Bendroflumethiazide, Chlorothiazide, Chlortalidone, Hydrochlorothiazide, Indapamide, Quinethazone, Mersalyl, Metolazone, Theobromine, Cicletanine |
| High ceiling diuretics | Bumetanide, Furosemide, Torasemide |
| Potassium-sparing diuretics | Amiloride, Eplerenone, Spironolactone, Triamterene |
