Trichlormethiazide
Encyclopedia
Trichlormethiazide is a diuretic
with properties similar to those of hydrochlorothiazide
. It is usually administered for the treatment of oedema (including that which is associated with heart failure, hepatic cirrhosis and corticosteroid
therapy) and hypertension
. In veterinary medicine
, trichlormethiazide can be combined with dexamethasone
to be used on horses with mild swelling of distal limbs and general bruising.
), trichlormethiazide encourages water loss from the body. Trichlormethiazide works by inhibiting
Na+/Cl- ion reabsorption from the distal tubules of the kidney
s. In addition, Trichlormethiazide increases the excretion
of potassium
.
effects may not necessarily be due to its role as a diuretic. Thiazides in general cause vasodilation
by activating calcium-activated potassium channels in vascular smooth muscles and inhibiting various carbonic anhydrases in vascular
tissue.
Diuretic
A diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
with properties similar to those of hydrochlorothiazide
Hydrochlorothiazide
Hydrochlorothiazide, abbreviated HCTZ, HCT, or HZT, is a first-line diuretic drug of the thiazide class that acts by inhibiting the kidneys' ability to retain water. This reduces the volume of the blood, decreasing blood return to the heart and thus cardiac output and, by other mechanisms, is...
. It is usually administered for the treatment of oedema (including that which is associated with heart failure, hepatic cirrhosis and corticosteroid
Corticosteroid
Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex. Corticosteroids are involved in a wide range of physiologic systems such as stress response, immune response and regulation of inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, blood electrolyte...
therapy) and hypertension
Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
. In veterinary medicine
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
, trichlormethiazide can be combined with dexamethasone
Dexamethasone
Dexamethasone is a potent synthetic member of the glucocorticoid class of steroid drugs. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant...
to be used on horses with mild swelling of distal limbs and general bruising.
Pharmacology
As a diuretic (in particular a thiazideThiazide
Thiazide is a term used to describe a type of molecule and a class of diuretics often used to treat hypertension and edema ....
), trichlormethiazide encourages water loss from the body. Trichlormethiazide works by inhibiting
Enzyme inhibitor
An enzyme inhibitor is a molecule that binds to enzymes and decreases their activity. Since blocking an enzyme's activity can kill a pathogen or correct a metabolic imbalance, many drugs are enzyme inhibitors. They are also used as herbicides and pesticides...
Na+/Cl- ion reabsorption from the distal tubules of the kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
s. In addition, Trichlormethiazide increases the excretion
Excretion
Excretion is the process by which waste products of metabolism and other non-useful materials are eliminated from an organism. This is primarily carried out by the lungs, kidneys and skin. This is in contrast with secretion, where the substance may have specific tasks after leaving the cell...
of potassium
Potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
.
Mechanism
Trichlormethiazide appears to block the active reabsorption of chloride and possibly sodium in the ascending loop of Henle. This results in excretion of sodium, chloride and water, and thus acts as a diuretic. Although trichlormethiazide is used to treat hypertension, its hypotensiveHypotension
In physiology and medicine, hypotension is abnormally low blood pressure, especially in the arteries of the systemic circulation. It is best understood as a physiologic state, rather than a disease. It is often associated with shock, though not necessarily indicative of it. Hypotension is the...
effects may not necessarily be due to its role as a diuretic. Thiazides in general cause vasodilation
Vasodilation
Vasodilation refers to the widening of blood vessels resulting from relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, particularly in the large arteries, smaller arterioles and large veins. The process is essentially the opposite of vasoconstriction, or the narrowing of blood vessels. When...
by activating calcium-activated potassium channels in vascular smooth muscles and inhibiting various carbonic anhydrases in vascular
Vascular
Vascular in zoology and medicine means "related to blood vessels", which are part of the circulatory system. An organ or tissue that is vascularized is heavily endowed with blood vessels and thus richly supplied with blood....
tissue.