Written Assignment Unit 3
How Do Drug Works
Withheld for peer assessment
Bachelor of Science in health science, UoPeople
BIOL 1301 Introduction to Biology - AY2021-T5
Dr. Rita Mourya (Instructor)
4th July 2021
HOW DO DRUG WORKS 1
Introduction
For personal reasons, I choose “Medroxyprogesterone acetate” (MPA) as my drug
research. It happens that a few days ago, I bought a birth control injection for my wife, and as we
got this assignment and its instructions, I decided to look deeper into this drug.
Medroxyprogesterone acetate
Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) “is a progestin (synthetic) used as a contraceptive
and in the treatment of secondary amenorrhea, abnormal uterine bleeding, pain from
endometriosis, endometrial and renal carcinomas, paraphilia in males, and GnRH-dependent
precocious puberty, is a progesterone derivative that is more resistant to metabolism for
improved pharmacokinetic properties” (DrugBank, 2005, para. 1-3).
Chemical structure.
MPA is chemically composed of Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), and Oxygen (O). Its
chemical formula is “C24H34O4 and weight Average: 386.5244, Monoisotopic: 386.245709576”
(DrugBank, 2005, para. 6).
Structure for Medroxyprogesterone acetate
(Credit: DrugBank, 2005)
HOW DO DRUG WORKS 2
Mechanism of action
“Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) inhibits the production of gonadotropin,
preventing follicular maturation and ovulation, which is responsible for its ability to prevent
pregnancy. This action also thins the endometrium. MPA reduces nuclear estrogen receptors and
DNA synthesis in epithelial cells of the endometrium. MPA can also induce p53 dependant
apoptosis in certain cancer cell lines, and inhibit GABA-A receptors” (DrugBank, 2005, para. 7).
Drug inhibitor.
MPA is a “competitive inhibitor and was found to inhibit CYP2C9 and CYP3A4” (Lee,
1999). MPA oral tablets are indicated to treat “secondary amenorrhea, reduce the incidence of
endometrial hyperplasia in postmenopausal women, and to treat abnormal uterine bleeding due
to hormonal imbalance, not organic pathology. Oral tablets containing MPA and conjugated
estrogens are indicated to prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis and to treat moderate to severe
menopausal symptoms such as vasomotor symptoms, vulvar atrophy, and vaginal atrophy.
Subcutaneous MPA is indicated to prevent pregnancy and manage pain associated with
endometriosis. Intramuscular MPA is indicated to prevent pregnancy, and at higher
concentrations for palliative treatment of endometrial or renal carcinoma” (DrugBank, 2005,
para. 5).
Medroxyprogesterone acetate adverse effects.
Some of the most common adverse effects of MPA are, “Nausea, bloating, headache,
changes in appetite, weight gain, tiredness, swelling, acne, hot flashes, breast tenderness, or
irritation/pain at the injection site may occur. Vaginal bleeding between periods (spotting) or
HOW DO DRUG WORKS 3
missed/irregular periods may occur, especially during the first few months of use, may raise
blood pressure, increase your risk of breast cancer, and may rarely cause serious (sometimes
fatal) problems from blood clots (HealthLinkBC, n.d, para.13).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s our responsibility to choose that we introduce to our body. As
mentioned in this research, MPA has various side effects, so we should be 100% sure and aware
of what we are doing. In addition, we should remember that not all of us have the same
metabolism, and the adverse effect might be different to all of us. Therefore, if we are not sure
how MPA will affect us, we should visits our local medical professional for advice or for
alternative method, that is, if we are using MPA as a contraceptive medication.
HOW DO DRUG WORKS 4
Reference
DrugBank. (2005, June 13). Medroxyprogesterone acetate.
https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB00603
HealthLinkBC. (n.d.). Medroxyprogesterone Acetate. Retrieved July 5, 2021, from
https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/medications/fdb0706
Lee, T. C. (1999). Medroxyprogesterone acetate. PubMed.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10372718/#:%7E:text=Medroxyprogesterone%20acetate
%20and%20dexamethasone%20are%20competitive%20inhibitors%20of%20different
%20human%20steroidogenic%20enzymes,-J%20Clin%20Endocrinol
Rye, C., Wise, R., Jurukovski, V., Desaix, J., Choi, J., & Avissar, Y. (2017a). Introduction to
Biology. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/biology/pages/12-introduction
Rye, C., Wise, R., Jurukovski, V., Desaix, J., Choi, J., & Avissar, Y. (2017b). Introduction to
Biology. OpenStax.
https://my.uopeople.edu/pluginfile.php/1274548/mod_page/content/6/
Biology_Chapters_1-10.pdf
Schreiber, C. A., & Barnhart, K. (2014). Medroxyprogesterone Acetate. ScienceDirect.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/
medroxyprogesterone-acetate
