Membrane Transport

**Filtration**

Pharmacology for dummies

 Filtration
• Drugs can pass through [Filtration] pores in
membrane or paracellular spaces as in capillary
endothelium capillarry endothelium
• These pores can be large as in endothelium or
very ‘Tight” as in brain[blood brain barrier]
• Lipid insoluble drugs, small enough can pass
through these pores
• [Lipid soluble pass by passive diffusion as
discussed earlier]
• It is rate of blood flow across capillaries
decides rate of filtration rather than pH and
lipid solubility [Which are important for passive
diffusion]

Pharmacology for dummies

 Questions
• The statement which is wrong about filtration as
a process of drug transport across biological
membranes is
a) Drugs pass through aqueous pores in
membranes
b) Drugs pass through paracellular spaces
c) It is dependent on lipid solubility of a drug
d) It is dependent on rate of blood flow through
capillaries

Answer: ‘c’
Pharmacology for dummies