cholinesterase inhibitor

inhibitor /in·hib·i·tor/ (in-hib´ĭ-tor)

1. any substance that interferes with a chemical reaction, growth, or other biologic activity.

2. a chemical substance that inhibits or checks the action of a tissue organizer or the growth of microorganisms.

3. an effector that reduces the catalytic activity of an enzyme.

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ACE inhibitors  angiotensin-converting enzyme i's.

alpha1-proteinase inhibitor  alpha.

angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors  competitive inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme; used as antihypertensives, usually in conjunction with a diuretic, and also as vasodilators in the treatment of congestive heart failure.

aromatase inhibitors  a class of drugs that inhibit aromatase activity and thus block production of estrogens; used to treat breast cancer and endometriosis.

C1 inhibitor  (C1 INH) an inhibitor of activated C1, the initial component of the classic complement pathway. Deficiency of or defect in the protein causes hereditary angioedema.

carbonic anhydrase inhibitor  any of a class of agents that inhibit carbonic anhydrase activity; used chiefly for the treatment of glaucoma, and for epilepsy, familial periodic paralysis, mountain sickness, and uric acid renal calculi.

cholinesterase inhibitor  a compound that prevents the hydrolysis of acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase, so that high levels of acetylcholine accumulate at reactive sites.

COX-2 inhibitors , cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors a group of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs that act by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2 activity; they have fewer gastrointestinal side effects than other NSAIDs.

gastric acid pump inhibitor  an agent that inhibits gastric acid secretion by blocking the action of H+,K+-ATPase at the secretory surface of gastric parietal cells; called also proton pump i.

HIV protease inhibitor  any of a group of antiretroviral drugs active against the human immunodeficiency virus, preventing protease-mediated cleavage of viral polyproteins and so causing production of immature noninfectious viral particles.

MAO inhibitor  monoamine oxidase inhibitor.

membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis  (MIRL) protectin.

monoamine oxidase inhibitor  (MAOI) any of a group of antidepressant drugs that act by blocking the action of the enzyme monoamine oxidase; believed to act by thus increasing the level of catecholamines in the central nervous system.

α2-plasmin inhibitor  α.

plasminogen activator inhibitor  (PAI) any of several regulators of the fibrinolytic system that act by binding to and inhibiting free plasminogen activator; the most important are PAI-1 and PAI-2.

platelet inhibitor  any of a group of agents that inhibit the clotting activity of platelets.

protease inhibitor 

1. a substance that blocks the activity of an endopeptidase (protease).

2. HIV protease i.

proton pump inhibitor  gastric acid pump i.

reverse transcriptase inhibitor  a substance that blocks activity of the reverse transcriptase of a retrovirus and is used as an antiretroviral agent.

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor  (SSRI) any of a group of drugs that inhibit the inactivation of serotonin by blocking its absorption in the central nervous system; used to treat depressive, obsessive-compulsive, and panic disorders.

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cholinesterase inhibitor

n.

A drug, such as neostigmine, that restores myoneural function by inhibiting the biodegradation of acetylcholine. Also called acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.

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cholinesterase inhibitor,

See anticholinesterase.

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cholinesterase

an enzyme that splits acetylcholine into acetic acid and choline. Called also acetylcholinesterase.

This enzyme is present throughout the body, but is particularly important at the neuromuscular junction, where the nerve fibers terminate. Acetylcholine is released when a nerve impulse reaches a neuromuscular junction. It diffuses across the synaptic cleft and binds to cholinergic receptors on the muscle fibers, causing them to contract. Cholinesterase splits acetylcholine into its components, thus stopping stimulation of the muscle fibers. The end products of the metabolism of acetylcholine are taken up by nerve fibers and resynthesized into acetylcholine.

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cholinesterase inhibitor

the drugs neostigmine, physostigmine and pyridostigmine inhibit cholinesterase. These drugs are used to treat myasthenia gravis, a disease in which the cholinergic receptors are attacked by autoantibodies. The drugs extend the effect of acetylcholine on the muscle fiber.

cholinesterase reactivator

choline-reactivating oximes are effective antidotes in organophosphorus insecticide poisoning, a state of acetylcholine excess because of cholinesterase inhibition. 2-PAM (2-pyridine aldoxime methchloride) is the most popular oxime for this purpose.

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cholinesterase inhibitor

Pharmacology Any agent–eg, pyridostigmine, ambenonium, neostigmine, that inhibits acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme which breaks down acetylcholine, thereby preventing transmission of nerve impulses to a muscle