8 - Na & Ca Channel Blockers Flashcards
Define affinity
How strongly a molecule binds to a receptor (stickiness)
Define potency
- Amount of a molecule required to achieve a defined biochemical effect (smaller dose = more potent drug)
- Also called IC50
Define efficacy
Maximum biological effect that a molecule can have upon binding to a receptor
What is the relative affinity and efficacy of antagonists?
High affinity, no efficacy
How is affinity measured?
Using radio-labelling, usually in a binding assay
How is potency measured?
Using inhibition assays
How is efficacy measured?
Using animal models
Can a molecule have high potency and low efficacy or vice versa?
Yes, don’t need a highly potent drug to have high efficacy
What are ion channels?
- Membrane proteins that are pores or gates that allow inorganic ions to pass
- Only method that inorganic ions can cross the membrane
What can trigger the opening and closing of ion channels?
- Voltage gradients
- Mechanical tension
- Ligands (endogenous or exogenous)
What happens during the opening or closing or a pore/gate?
The channel undergoes several conformational changes
What is the role of ion channels in non-excitable cells, such as hematopoietic cells?
Mediate cellular functions, such as intracellular biochemical responses
What is the role of ion channels in excitable cells, such as neuronal cells, muscle, and secretory cells?
Regulate membrane potential, usually for transmission of electrical signals
Do any drugs act directly on ion channels?
Yes, this causes a change in membrane potential
How do excitable cells produce and respond to electrical signals?
Through the movement of ions
What is resting membrane potential?
Voltage difference across the cell membrane
What happens if there are more cations on the outside of a cell?
Membrane will develop a negative charge on the inside of the cell, leaving an excess of negatively charged proteins
How does the Na+/K+ pump create a concentration gradient?
- Pumps 3 Na+ ions out of the cell and 2 K+ ions into the cell
- Uses ATP -> ADP as energy
- Change in ion concentration causes the development of a net voltage across the membrane (positive on outside and negative on inside)
What are leak channels and what do they do?
- Protein channels
- Allow Na+ or K+ to leak down their concentration gradients, from high to low concentration
- Na+ tends to leak into cell and K+ out of the cell (b/c of the Na+/K+ pump)
Are cell membranes more permeable to Na+ or K+? Why?
K+ b/c there are more K+ channels
When the cell is at rest, is more K+ entering or leaving the cell?
- At eq’m
- Some is entering b/c of charge gradient, and some is exiting b/c of concentration gradient
At equilibrium, what is the relative INTRACELLULAR concentration of various ions?
- High K+
- Low Na+, Ca2+, and Cl-
- High protein and DNA
What 2 components are required to maintain a stable resting membrane potential?
- Ion pumping
- Ion leaking
How can gated ion channels be opened or closed?
Depending on conditions of the cell (such as pressure, voltage, and presence of chemicals/ligands)
What happens when gated Na+ and K+ channels are opened?
- Na+ = more positive charge b/c more positive ions entering the cell
- K+ = more negative charge b/c more positive ions exiting the cell
What are the types of Na and K channels involved in neuronal action potentials?
- Na channels can be voltage activated or ligand activated
- K channels are voltage activated; some leak channels are always open
Describe an action potential of a neuronal cell
- Stimulus causes few Na+ channels to open, allowing Na+ to enter the cell and making the charge more positive
- When threshold is reached, more Na+ channels open and voltage increases even more
- At the peak, Na+ channels begin to close and K+ channels open
- Voltage drops due to K+ leaving the cell, and undershoots (hyperpolarization)
- K+ channels close, except leak channels, and cells resting membrane potential returns to resting state
What is the difference between myocardial action potentials and neuronal APs?
- Myocardial AP is self stimulating, w/ Ca2+ channels playing an important role
- Normally myocardial AP activation starts at one location of the heart (SA node) then spreads down to AV node, then bundle of His, then Purkinje fibers, leading to heart beat/contraction