methotrexate

methotrexate
/meth'oh trek"sayt/, n. Pharm.
a toxic folic acid analogue, C20H22N8O5, that inhibits cellular reproduction, used primarily in the treatment of psoriasis and certain cancers and as an immunosuppressive agent.
[1950-55; METHO(XY)- + trexate, of unclear derivation]

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▪ drug
      drug used to slow the growth of certain cancers (cancer), including leukemia, breast cancer, and lung cancer. It is also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, a skin disease in which abnormally rapid proliferation of epidermal cells occurs. Methotrexate is an antimetabolite of the B vitamin folic acid (folate). It prevents the synthesis of nucleic acids (nucleic acid) and thus inhibits cell reproduction. This property also makes it effective as an agent of medical abortion, either for the termination of ectopic pregnancy or of normal intrauterine pregnancy during the first seven to nine weeks.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Methotrexate — Méthotrexate Méthotrexate Général Nom IUPAC acide (2S) 2 [(4 {[(2,4 diamino 7,8 dihydroptéridin 6 yl)méthyl](méthyl)amino}phényl)formamido] pentanedioïque …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Méthotrexate — Général Nom IUPAC acide (2S) 2 [(4 {[(2,4 diamino 7,8 dihydroptéridin 6 yl)méthyl](méthyl)amino}phényl)formamido] pentanedioïque …   Wikipédia en Français

  • methotrexate — methotrexate. См. метотрексат. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • méthotréxate — ● méthotréxate nom masculin Médicament antimitotique, dérivé antagoniste de l acide folique, utilisé dans le traitement de diverses tumeurs et de certaines leucémies …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • methotrexate — [meth΄ō treks′āt΄] n. [ METH(YL) + trex (< ?) + ATE2] an orange brown, crystalline powder, C20H22N8O5, that is a folic acid antagonist: used in medicine, esp. in treating leukemia, various tumors, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis …   English World dictionary

  • Methotrexate — Amethopterin redirects here. Not to be confused with aminopterin. Methotrexate Systematic ( …   Wikipedia

  • Methotrexate — Strukturformel Allgemeines Freiname Methotrexat Andere Namen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • methotrexate — n. a drug that interferes with cell growth and is used to treat many types of cancer, including leukaemia in children and various solid tumours (see antimetabolite, dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor). It also affects the immune response and may… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • methotrexate — noun toxic antimetabolite that limits cellular reproduction by acting as an antagonist to folic acid; used to treat certain cancers and psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis • Syn: ↑methotrexate sodium, ↑amethopterin • Hypernyms: ↑antimetabolite,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Methotrexate-induced papular eruption — appears in patients being treated with methotrexate, such as those with rheumatic disease, presenting with erythematous indurated papules, usually located on the proximal extremities.[1] It has been suggested that it may represent a Cutaneous… …   Wikipedia

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