Prednisone
Production
• Prednisone is a man-made steroid and is used to treat many
illnesses.
• Prednisone is synthesized from cortisone by adding a double bond
between C1 and C2.
• Cortisone is synthesized from cholesterol in the outer layer, or
cortex, of the adrenal gland under the stimulation of
adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
• Prednisone can be synthesized by microbiological dehydrogenation
of cortisone
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http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0813671.html
http://books.google.com/books?id=Jjc7KYWZdOYC&pg=PA355&lpg=PA355&dq=sy
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Cortisone to Prednisone
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Composition
• Prednisone is made of C21H26O5
• Chemically, it is 17,21-dihydroxypregna-1, 4-diene3,11, 20-trione
• Prednisone is a white to practically white, odorless,
crystalline powder and has a molecular weight of
358.43. It melts at about 230°C with some
decomposition. Prednisone is very slightly soluble in
water, slightly soluble in alcohol, chloroform,
dioxane, and methanol.
http://www.drugs.com/pro/prednisone.html
Composition Cont.
The Inactive Ingredients of Prednisone
• 5 mg of prednisone is made of: anhydrous
lactose, colloidal silicon dioxide, magnesium
stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium
starch glycolate, and talc.
• http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=
19543
Composition
• Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen are the main
elements in prednisone.
• Carbon is found in the non-metal section of
the periodic table, hydrogen in the noble
gases, and oxygen in the non-metals.
How it works
• Prednisone is part of a group of medications called
glucocorticoids.
• glucocorticoids have numerous affects in the body,
they are used mostly for their anti-inflammatory or
immune-suppressing properties.
• This drug works for most conditions by decreasing
inflammation or suppressing an overactive immune
system.
• It works in myasthenia gravis(MG) by changing the
normal action of the body’s immune system.
http://drugs.emedtv.com/prednisone/prednisone.html
How it works cont.
• Prednisone is a man-made replica of cortisone
• Cortisone is a steroid that is produced by the outer
portion of adrenal glands
• Cortisone normally helps regulate the body's salt and
water balance and reduces inflammation.
• The adrenal glands normally produces an amount of
steroids equivalent to about 5 mg. of prednisone a
day.
• When prescribed in doses that exceed natural levels,
prednisone suppresses inflammation and can help
treat a variety of diseases.
http://www.gihealth.com/html/education/drugs/prednisone.ht
ml
Side Effects of Prednisone
Common side
effects:
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• loss of appetite
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Extreme
changes in
mood
• Changes in
personality
• Weight Gain
• Bulging eyes
• Thin, fragile skin
• Increased hair growth
• Extreme tiredness
• Weak muscles
• Heartburn
• Trouble sleeping
• Increased sweating
• Acne
• Moon face
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a
601102.html