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Written Assignment Unit 3

Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is a synthetic progestin used as a contraceptive and to treat various medical conditions. It works by inhibiting gonadotropin production to prevent ovulation and thinning the endometrium. Common side effects include nausea, headaches, weight gain and irregular bleeding. As with any drug, people should see a medical professional to determine if MPA is appropriate and to be aware of any potential adverse reactions based on individual factors.

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140 views

Written Assignment Unit 3

Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is a synthetic progestin used as a contraceptive and to treat various medical conditions. It works by inhibiting gonadotropin production to prevent ovulation and thinning the endometrium. Common side effects include nausea, headaches, weight gain and irregular bleeding. As with any drug, people should see a medical professional to determine if MPA is appropriate and to be aware of any potential adverse reactions based on individual factors.

Uploaded by

Benses Alvarado
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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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

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