3. Agonists and enzymes Flashcards
What are pharmacodynamics?
study of a drug’s molecular, biochemical, and physiologic effects or actions
What is the equation for a reversible drug/receptor reaction?
D + R <=> DR (drug receptor complex)
What is the law of mass action?
The rate of a chemical reaction is proportional to the concentration of the reacting substrates
What is KD and how do we derive it?
It’s the dissociation constant for a drug/receptor reaction. It is when the drug concentration at which half of the receptors are occupied.
See equation derivations page 1.
What is KA in relation to KD?
What does it describe?
The affinity constant. It is the reciprocal of KD e.g. 1/KD
It describes the affinity of a drug to its receptor
What is the rule with any thing and it’s reciprocal?
If we double the number, the reciprocal will halve.
What is the equation for drug receptor occupancy?
r= [DR]/ [RT]
r = fractional occupancy
RT = total number of receptors e.g. the sum of bound and free receptors.
What is the fractional occupancy if KD is equal to the drug concentration?
0.5
How can we plot a drugs KD on an affinity graph?
KD = D R / DR
At equilibrium, half of the receptors are full therefore, R = DR and so they cancel each other out. Meaning that KD = D.
So an affinity graph has % of receptor occupied as y and drug concentration on x, then the concentration of drug can be plotted as 50% occupancy on the graph.
If we plot a graphical representation of affinity, what shape do we get?
Hyperbolic curve
What happens to KD as drug affinity changes?
KD = D R / DR
If drugs have a high affinity, the DR side of the equation will be favoured. If DR is high D R will be low and so KD will be low.
Higher affinity = lower KD and vice versa.
What is the difference between full and partial agonists?
Full agonist = drugs that provide a maximum response (E) - an intrinsic activity of 1.
Partial = below maximal response - intrinsic activity between 0-1.
How does the dissociation constant (KD) relate to full agonists?
It is the concentration of full agonist producing a half maximal response
On a graph KD is the same as EC or ED50
What is an inverse agonist?
They have the opposite effect on a receptor
What shape is an enzyme simulation graph showing Km?
Hyperbolic
Look at the two Km tables on page 2 of graphs
What is Km?
The Michaelis constant, which is the concentration of substrate that means the velocity of the reaction is half of the Vmax.
What is the michaelis menten equation and what does it tell us?
V = Vmax [S] / (Km + [S])
It predicts the rate of a biological reaction according to substrate concentration and enzyme characteristics e.g. Km and Vmax.
What are the three ways that drugs can increase enzyme activity?
Direct positive allosteric modulation: increases the Vmax or Km e.g. insulin or tyrosine kinase
Indirect increase via intermediate messengers e.g. GCP receptor agonists coupled with adenylate cyclase i.e. H2 D1 and b receptors.
Enzyme induction (increasing concentration): the cyp450 enzymes metabolise many drugs and chronic exposure induces them, meaning increased drug clearance. Some iso forms metabolise several drugs.
List the important drug interactions we must know, for enzyme inducers?
For Vec, warfarin, ciclosporin, steroids.
If we stopped the enzyme inducers suddenly, what would happen to the other drug?
phenytoin and carbemazepine reduce the duration of vec
rifampicin or carbemazepine reduce the efficacy of warfarin
Rifampicin reduces the efficacy of ciclosporin
barbiturates reduce the efficacy of corticosteroids
Stopping g the enzyme inhibitors suddenly causes increase of other drugs.
What ways can drugs reduce enzymes?
Direct inhibition via reduction of Km or Vmax
Indirect via intermediary messengers
Either reversible or irreversible
What is the role and structure of acetylcholinesterase?
What are the three different kinds of inhibitors?
AChE causes ester hydrolysis of ACh at the NMJ.
Contains: (Diagram pharma 3 page 27)
anionic site (negatively charged) attracting a positive quarternary ammonium ion.
Esoteric site: ester hydrolysis to form choline and acetic acid.
Inhibitors:
Short acting: edrophonium binds to anionic site
Medium: neostigmine and pyridostigmine - bind to both sites.
Long acting: organophosphates - phosphorylates the esteratic site (acts like carbamylators). The drug enzyme complex becomes aged with time and inhibition becomes irreversible.
What are the two classes of reversible AChE inhibitors and what do they do?
Carbamylators (e.g. -igmines)
Carbamylated enzyme (usually acetylated), reacts more slowly with water, reducing the rate of ACh breakdown allowing cleft buildup.
Anionic site (edrophonium).
Short acting competitive used for diagnostic purposes.