Physiological Pharmaceutics

Glossary 285solution by the blood in order to be availablefor bone growth and metabolism. It is also ofgreat importance in blood coagulation.Calcium channel blockers A group of drugs whichslow the influx of calcium into a cell. Used totreat angina, hypertension andsupraventricular tachycardia.Calveolated cells. See tuft cellsCandida A genus of yeastlike fungi which is part ofthe normal flora of the mouth, skin, intestinaltract and vagina. One of the most common causesof vaginitis in women of reproductive age.Carbamazepine Drug used to treat temporal lobeepilepsy.Carbohydrates A group of chemicals which includesugars, glycogen, starches, dextrins andcelluloses that contain only carbon, oxygenand hydrogen. Basic source of energy for thebody.Carbomers Synthetic high molecular weightpolymers of acrylic acid cross-linked witheither allyl ethers of sucrose or allyl ethers ofpentaerithrityl. Used to treat dry eye.Carbon dioxide Colourless gas expelled from thelungs. It is the final metabolic product ofcarbon compounds present in food.Carbonic anhydrase Enzyme which catalyses theunion of water and carbon dioxide to formcarbonic acid or reverses the action. Presentin red blood cells.Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors Inhibitor of thecarbonic anhydrase enzyme used to treatglaucoma.Carbopol Trade name for a series of poly-(acrylicacid) polymers used as bioadhesives due totheir polyelectrolyte properties.Carboxylesterase Any enzyme which hydrolylses anester at the carboxyl linkage.Carboxymethylcellulose A chemically modifiedcellulose polymer used as a thickening agentand rheological modifier in manyformulations.Carbromal Very little used sedative-hypnotic drug.Caries Gradual decay and disintegration of soft orbony tissue or tooth.Carteolol A ß-blocker used as a eye drop to reduceintra-ocular pressure.Castor oil Oil expressed from the plant Ricinuscommunis. Used externally as an emollient andinternally as a cathartic.Cells of Cajal Located in oesophagus. Precisefunction not known.Cellulose A structural polysaccharide abundant inplantsCellulose acetate phthalate An acid-insolublepolymer used for enteric coatingsCementum Thin layer of calcified tissue formed bycementoblasts which covers the tooth root.Ceramides Class of lipids which do not containglycerol.Cerebrospinal fluid A water cushion which protectsthe brain and spinal cord from impact.Cervix Neck or part of an organ resembling a neck.Charcoal Soft powder prepared from soft charredwood.Chewing gum A substance made for chewing suchas polyvinyl acetate. Drugs may be deliveredin this form.Chief cells Cells which line the gastric glands andsecrete pepsinogen.Chitosan A biopolymer derived from chitin, a majorcomponent of animal exoskeletons.Chloramphenicol An broad-spectrum antibioticoriginally isolated from Streptomycesvenezuelae, but is not made synthetically.Chlorhexidine A topical anti-infective agent.Chlormadinone acetate Orally active progestin.Chlorobutol Pharmaceutical preservative.Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC|) A volatile liquid or gasused as an aerosol propellant, now banned dueto its environmental ozone-damagingproperties. Medical devices have exemptionfrom the ban but CFC’s are rapidly beingreplaced in most formulations.Cholecystokinin Also known as cholecystokininpancreozymin.A hormone secreted intio theblood by the mucosa of the upper intestine.Stimulates gall bladder contraction.Cholera An acute infection which involves the entiresmall bowel. It is characterised by a waterydiarrhoea and vomiting resulting in acutedehydration.Cholesterol A sterol widely distributed in animaltissues. It can be synthesised in the liver and itis a normal constituent of bile.Cholinergic agonists These have their action onautonomic effector cells innervated by postganglionicparasympathetic nerves.Chondroitin Polysaccharide present in connectivetissue.Choroid plexi Network of blood vessels betweenthe sclera and retina.Chylomicrons Small globule of fat in the fat afterdigestion and absorption.Chyme Food that has been processed by thestomach. The particle size is reduced, it ishydrated and optimised for delivery to thesmall intestine where it can be absorbed.Chymotrypsin A proteolytic enzyme present in theintestine. Hydrolyses proteins.Ciliogenesis Formation of cilia.Cilioinhibition Inhibiting the movement of cilia.Ciliotoxicity Toxic to cilia, influencing or stoppingthe ciliary beat.Cimetidine One of the first H 2receptor antagonists,for several years the world’s no. 1 selling drug.Used to reduce gastric acid production.Cinnarizine Antihistamine used to treat vertigo andnausea associated with Ménière’s disease andmiddle ear surgery.Citrate Anion of the tribasic citric acid, commonlyfound in fruit juice, and part of the citric acidcycle, a major energy-utilizing metabolicpathway.Clara cells Secreting cells in the surface epithelia ofbronchioles.