Pharmacologic Substance
azathioprine sodium
[ ay-zuh-thy-oh-preen soh-dee-um ]
Effect:
Cellular Growth Phase Reduction; Decreased DNA Replication; Decreased Mitosis; Immunologic Activity Alteration
May Prevent:
Graft vs Host Disease
May Treat:
Arthritis, Rheumatoid;
Colitis, Ulcerative;
Crohn Disease;
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic;
Multiple Sclerosis;
Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic
More Information:
Definitions related to azathioprine sodium:
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A drug used to keep a patient from rejecting a transplanted kidney. It is also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that does not get better with other types of treatment. Azathioprine sodium blocks the growth of white blood cells and the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein. It is a type of immunosuppressant.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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The sodium salt form of azathioprine, a pro-drug of purine analogue with immunosuppressive activity. Azathioprine is converted in vivo to its active metabolite 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), which substitutes for the normal nucleoside and mistakenly gets incorporated into DNA sequences. This leads to inhibition of DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. As a result, cell proliferation may be inhibited, particularly in lymphocytes and leukocytes.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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