Most medications must pass through the liver, which is the main site of drug metabolism. Once in the liver, enzymes convert prodrugs to active metabolites or convert active drugs to inactive forms. The liver's primary mechanism for metabolizing drugs is through a specific group of cytochrome P-450 enzymes. The liver's main mechanism for metabolizing drugs is a specific group of cytochrome P-450 enzymes.
This group of enzymes acts as a catalyst for the oxidation of many drugs. The level of these cytochrome P-450 enzymes controls the rate at which many drugs are metabolized. However, the ability of enzymes to be metabolized is limited, so they can be overloaded when blood levels of a drug are high. Drug metabolism is the chemical alteration of a drug by the body.
The liver is the primary, but not the only, site for most drug metabolism in the body. The cytochrome P-450 enzyme system is particularly important because many different drugs can also induce or inhibit these enzymes, resulting in a change in the efficiency of the system in metabolizing drugs, which may increase toxicity or decrease the efficacy of the drug. The way in which the body chemically alters pharmaceutical products so that they can be more easily processed and excreted is called drug metabolism. The circulatory system then distributes the medication throughout the body.
It is then metabolized by the body. The drug and its metabolites are then excreted, 5.6.Research has shown that the use of certain drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, may even change the role of BBB over time.
