Antiemetic drugs are medicines used to treat and prevent nausea and vomiting. Some drugs are used entirely as prophylactics, whereas other are used to directly treat nausea and vomiting. Below, we review the pharmacology of the major antiemetic drug classes.
For the purposes of this antiemetic drugs pharmacology guide, we will review the following five antiemetic drug classes:
For each class, we review its members, indications, mechanism of action, side effect profile and notable drug interactions.
There are three broad classes of antiemetic dopamine antagonist:
The first two classes are typical antipsychotic drugs.
The third class are not antipsychotic drugs, but they share a common mechanism of action with those drugs – namely, antagonism of dopamine, D2 receptors.
Indications – prophylaxis and treatment of nausea and vomiting in a variety of contexts. However, they are particularly effective in cases of reduced gut motility.
Mechanism of action – as we have already alluded to, both medicines are antagonists at dopamine, D2 receptors. These receptors are found throughout the brain, including the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ). D2 receptors are also found in high concentrations in the gut, leading to a prokinetic effect, further aiding their antiemetic, clinical effect.
Side effects associated with metoclopramide and domperidone include:
Extrapyramidal side effects are associated with metoclopramide, not domperidone. This is because domperidone does not cross the blood-brain barrier and, given that the CTZ is largely outside this barrier, domperidone can exert its antiemetic effect without causing more central extrapyramidal effects.
When we talk about the clinical pharmacology of metoclopramide and domperidone, we need to think about the following factors:
Examples:
Indications – used to treat and prevent nausea and vomiting in a wide variety of contexts. Prochlorperazine is particularly effective at treating nausea and vomiting caused by vertigo.
Mechanism of action – as with metoclopramide and domperidone, these three medicines work by antagonising D2 receptors found in the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ). They are also typical antipsychotic drugs, their antipsychotic effects most likely due to their antagonism of D2 receptors in the mesolimbic pathway.
Side effects associated with droperidol, chlorpromazine and prochlorperazine include:
Clinical factors of phenothiazines and butyrophenones include:
The next class to review in antiemetic drugs pharmacology is 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, also known as “setrons”.
Examples of setrons include:
5-HT3 receptor antagonists are particularly effective in the treatment of:
For CINV, setrons are often given alongside another antiemetic medicine – such as dexamethasone or an NK1 receptor antagonist (see below), such as aprepitant – to boost their antiemetic effects.
Mechanism of action – as with dopamine, D2 receptors, there is a high concentration of serotonergic receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ). In addition, there is a high concentration of these receptors found in the gastrointestinal tract, the primary neurotransmitter released in that part of the body.
When 5-HT3 receptors are activated, a stimulus passes onto the CTZ via the vagus nerve and solitary tract nucleus, triggering nausea and vomiting. However, these receptors play little to no role in the vestibular system, meaning triptans are ineffective at treating motion sickness.
Side effects associated with 5-HT3 receptor antagonists include:
Generally, setrons are very well tolerated medicines.
When we talk about the clinical pharmacology of setrons, we need to think about the following factors:
Examples:
H1 receptor antagonists are particularly effective at treating nausea and vomiting whose cause is motion sickness or vertigo.
Mechanism of action – histamine is an essential link between the vestibular system and the chemoreceptor trigger zone. Acetylcholine is another important link. H1 antagonists work by blocking this neuronal pathway – meaning they become particularly effective at alleviating nausea and vomiting in motion sickness or vertigo. However, many H1 antagonists, such as cyclizine, are useful for other causes – such as postoperative or drug-induced nausea and vomiting.
Side effects associated with H1 antagonists include:
Cyclizine is the least sedating of the major H1 antagonists.
When we talk about the clinical pharmacology of H1 antagonists, we need to think about the following factors:
Examples:
Indications:
Aprepitant and rolapitant are not used in isolation. Instead, they are administered alongside another antiemetic drug – most commonly a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist or a steroid, such as dexamethasone – augmenting their antiemetic properties.
NK1 antagonists are effective in treating both the acute and delayed forms of CINV. While 5-HT3 antagonists are highly effective at treating the acute phase, they are not as effective treating the delayed CINV phase.
NK1 antagonists have been shown to be effective at treating both phases.
Mechanism: NK1 is a G-coupled protein receptor (GPCR) found in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The dominant ligand of this receptor is Substance P; an 11-amino acid neuropeptide that is found in high concentrations in the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) of the brain. By binding to and antagonising these receptors, Substance P cannot trigger its nerve impulses to the CTZ – reducing the vomiting reflex.
Side effects associated with NK1 receptor antagonists include:
More rarely, NK1 antagonists have been linked to hypertension, palpitations and blood alkaline phosphatase increase.
When we talk about the clinical pharmacology of NK1 antagonists, we need to think about the following factors:
That concludes the major antiemetic drug classes. That said, other drug classes may also be used for their antiemetic properties – chief among them being benzodiazepines.
Benzodiazepines commonly used for their antiemetic properties include:
In the case of lorazepam, it has been used to treat nausea and vomiting caused by the patient’s belief that they may be sick. Lorazepam reduces anxiety in affected patients, reducing the risk of nausea and vomiting. Lorazepam has also been used, in combination with other medicines, to treat cyclic vomiting syndrome. In the case of midazolam, it has been used in patient’s pre-surgery to prevent nausea and vomiting.
That concludes our review of antiemetic drugs pharmacology! If you have found this helpful, take a few minutes to check out some of our many other pharmacology study guides on our PharmaFactz blog!
