Pathways

Oxazepam is an intermediate-acting benzodiazepine with slow onset commonly used to treat panic disorders, severe anxiety, alcohol withdrawals, and insomnia. It can be found under the brand name Oxpam. Oxazepam is an intermediate-acting, 3-hydroxybenzodiazepine used in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal and anxiety disorders. It is an intermediate-acting benzodiazepine with a slow onset of action, so it is usually prescribed to individuals who have trouble staying asleep, rather than falling asleep. Oxazepam, like related 3-hydroxybenzodiazepine lorazepam, is considered less susceptible to pharmacokinetic variability based on patient-specific factors (e.g. age, liver disease) - this feature is advantageous as compared to other benzodiazepines, and is likely owing in part to oxazepam's relatively simple metabolism. It is an active metabolite of both diazepam and temazepam and undergoes very little biotransformation following absorption, making it unlikely to participate in pharmacokinetic interactions. Like other benzodiazepines, oxazepam exerts its anxiolytic effects by potentiating the effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on GABA(A) receptors, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors in the mammalian brain. GABA(A) receptors are a component of GABA-gated ionotropic chloride channels that produce inhibitory postsynaptic potentials - following activation by GABA, the channel undergoes a conformational change that allows the passage of chloride ions through the channel. The inhibitory potentials produced by GABA neurotransmission play an integral role in the suppression and control of epileptiform nerve firing such as that seen in epilepsy, which makes the GABA system a desirable target in the treatment of epilepsy. Benzodiazepines are positive allosteric modulators of GABA(A) function. They bind to the interface between alpha (α) and gamma (γ) subunits on the receptor, commonly referred to as the benzodiazepine binding site, and modulate the receptor such that its inhibitory response to GABA binding is dramatically increased. Some side effects of using diazepam may include drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, and dry mouth.

Oxcarbazepine, an anticonvulsant closely related to carbamazepine, is a mood-stabilizing drug used primarily in the treatment of epilepsy. Oxcarbazepine is metabolized to 10-hydroxycarbazepine and subsequently to 10,11-dihydroxycarbamazepine.

Oxcarbazepine is an anti-epileptic used in the treatment of partial-onset seizures. It can be found under the brand name Oxtellar and Trileptal. Oxcarbazepine is an anti-epileptic medication used in the treatment of partial onset seizures that was first approved for use in the United States in 2000. It is a structural derivative of carbamazepine and exerts a majority of its activity via a pharmacologically active metabolite, MHD (licarbazepine). The exact mechanism through which oxcarbazepine and its active metaoblite, MHD, exert their anti-epileptic effects is unclear, but is thought to primarily involve the blockade of voltage-gated sodium channels. The opening and closing of sodium channels allows for the propagation of action potentials along neurons - in epilepsy, these action potentials can occur in excess of that required for normal function, and the repetitive and pathological firing of these action potentials leads to seizure activity. Both oxcarbazepine and MHD are thought to inhibit seizure activity by binding to the inactive state of voltage-gated sodium channels, thus prolonging the period in which the receptor is unavailable for action potential propagation. This helps to stabilize hyperexcited neuronal membranes, inhibit repetitive neuron firing, and prevent the spread of seizure activity within the CNS without affecting normal neuronal transmission. MHD is formed via reduction by several members of the aldo-keto reductase family of cytosolic liver enzymes and exists as a racemate in plasma in an approximate ratio of 80% (S)-MHD to 20% (R)-MHD. Some possible side effects of using oxcarbazepine may include sedation, dizziness, headache, and ataxia.

Oxiconazole is a topical antifungal agent, known as the brand name Oxistat, that is used to treat a variety of skin fungal infections such as athlete's foot, jock itch, and ringworm.It is used to treat a number of different yeasts and dermatophytes such as T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, T. tonsurans, T. violaceum, E. floccosum, M. canis, M. audouini, M. gypseum, C. albicans, and M. furfur. It is applied topically to the infected area where it can inhibit the target enzymes in the fungal cells by diffusing into the cell. Oxiconazole inhibits both lanosterol synthase and lanosterol 14-alpha demethylase in the endoplasmic reticulum of fungal cells. Lanosterol synthase is the enzyme that catelyzes the synthesis of lanosterol from (S)-2,3 oxidosqualene. Lanosterol 14-alpha demethylase is the enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of 4,4'-dimethyl cholesta-8,14,24-triene-3-beta-ol from lanosterol. With both of these enzymes inhibited ergosterol synthesis cannot occur which causes a significant low concentration of ergosterol in the fungal cell. Ergosterol is essential in maintaining membrane integrity in fungi. Without ergosterol, the fungus cell cannot synthesize membranes thereby increasing fluidity and preventing growth of new cells. This causes the cell to collapse and die.

Oxiconazole is a drug that is not metabolized by the human body as determined by current research and biotransformer analysis. Oxiconazole passes through the liver and is then excreted from the body mainly through the kidney.