Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2018 July 27

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July 27

Definition of episomal

Is it correct to call a non-integrating plasmid episomal if it's in a eukaryotic cell and does not replicate in that cell? Is the ability to replicate in the cell in question necessary to meet the definition of episomal? Thanks. --185.230.100.66 (talk) 06:28, 27 July 2018 (UTC)

The ability to replicate independently of the nucleus is the defining characteristic of Plasmid DNA, while some suggest that the term episome be abandoned or modified to refer to viruses that may be replicated in the nucleus, see Plasmid#Episomes. DroneB (talk) 12:57, 27 July 2018 (UTC)

AA and KSD

Every aldosterone antagonist that I see is also a potassium-sparing diuretic. Are there any aldosterone antagonists that are not potassium-sparing? 209.149.113.5 (talk) 18:46, 27 July 2018 (UTC)

I think by definition no, because that's just literally what happens when you antagonize the aldosterone receptor (unless there's something else going on with the patient's kidneys). To do something else would require significant off-target activity, at which point I suspect it would not be placed in that class of drug. Someguy1221 (talk) 22:34, 27 July 2018 (UTC)

Which is one of the reasons we need to keep teaching medical students about physiology and the mechanism of actions of drugs (pharmacology); similar mechanisms of action do indeed lead to similar effects. Klbrain (talk) 23:12, 1 August 2018 (UTC)