Open AccessResistance to ondansetron: Role of pharmacogenetics in post-operative nausea and vomiting
Author(s) -
Kulsoom Farhat,
Muhammad Ismail,
Shabana Ali,
Anwar Kamal Pasha
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the egyptian journal of medical human genetics /the egyptian journal of medical human genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.253
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 2090-2441
pISSN - 1110-8630
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejmhg.2013.03.003
Subject(s) - ondansetron , pharmacogenetics , nausea , vomiting , medicine , pharmacology , drug , general anaesthesia , postoperative nausea and vomiting , anesthesia , intensive care medicine , bioinformatics , biology , gene , genotype , genetics
Post-operative nausea and vomiting is the most annoying and at the same time a dangerous side effect of general anaesthesia. Ondansetron is a routinely used anti emetic drug which is being administered by the trial and error principle. Though it did revolutionized the management of this condition but by and large failed to completely eliminate the problem. Recently an important factor possibly elucidating this failure is said to be the differing expression of genes controlling proteins that are involved in transport and receptors related to this drug. Quite surprisingly these transporter and receptor pathways have been found to be polymorphic and at the same time shown to be related to efficacy of the drug. The differentiation between those responding to treatment and those not responding may pave a way to individualize treatment for emesis to a greater extent. This review highlights the pharmacogenetics related to this commonly used anti-emetic drug in anaesthesia. It is visualized as a promising way to achieve the target of individualized therapy. It seems obvious that pharmacogenetics will become an important field of anaesthesia research in the future