Final answer:
The correct option is A). Sulfonylureas stimulate the release of insulin from pancreatic beta cells by closing potassium channels, which helps lower blood glucose levels. They do not directly affect insulin receptor activity, hepatic glucose production, or renal glucose excretion. Personalized medicine, including pharmacogenetics, seeks to optimize drug treatment based on an individual's genetic makeup.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sulfonylureas are a class of medications used to manage diabetes by stimulating insulin release from the beta cells of the pancreas. These drugs function by closing potassium channels on the pancreatic beta cells, which leads to the depolarization of the cell membrane, the subsequent opening of calcium channels, and eventually, the exocytosis of stored insulin. This increased insulin release enhances glucose uptake into cells, particularly muscle and fat cells, and decreases blood glucose levels.
The function of the insulin receptor includes inducing the translocation of the Glut-4 glucose transporter to the cell membrane, facilitating glucose uptake and metabolism, and leading to glycogen synthesis, glycolysis, and fatty acid synthesis. It is important to note that sulfonylureas do not work by increasing insulin receptor activity or affecting hepatic glucose production, and they do not alter renal glucose excretion.
An adverse reaction like the one experienced by Arya, characterized by symptoms of hypoglycemia such as hunger, sweating, shakiness, and weakness, can occur with sulfonylurea medications. This is due to their potent effect on increasing insulin secretion, which can sometimes lead to blood glucose levels dropping too low.
The field of pharmacogenetics aims to understand how an individual's genetic makeup can influence the response to medications, including those like sulfonylureas used in diabetes treatment. This personalized medicine approach strives to tailor medication and dosing to the patient's genome to improve efficacy and minimize adverse effects.