Agonists and Antagonists Practical Flashcards
What is an organ bath experiment?
When isolated tissues are suspended in a fluid filled, heated and gassed chamber.
Allows to study nerve conduction (synapsis) and contraction of muscle fibres (Smooth mainly)
What are the advantages of a organ bath experiment?
Living tissue used - show drug-receptor interaction, signal transduction, functional output
Direct cause and effect
Quantification and characterisation of pharmacological action (maximal response, EC50, affinity, mode of action (agonist or antagonist)
Treatments for what conditions have been developed by an organ bath experiment?
Hypertension
Heart failure
Diabetes
Gastrointestinal disease
Bladder dysfunction
Asthma
Thrombosis
What organs are commonly used in an organ bath experiment?
Guinea pig ileum
Rat thoracic aorta
What temperature is the organ bath heated to normally?
37 degrees
What is the difference between dose-response curve and concentration-response curve and when should they be used?
Dose-response - normall for in vivo experminets, know the dose given but not necessarily the concentration at the receptor
Concentratration response - in vitro where direct control over concentration of drug exposed to the tissue.
Drug effects are more dependent on concentration at the receptor not necessarily the dose added to the system.
What is the use of phenylephrine?
Chemistry: alpha-1 adrenergic receptor agonist, structural analogue of noradrenaline
Clinical: Used in the treatment of hypotension will induce local vasoconstriction (also dilates pupils), normally injected to treat hypotension caused by shock or anaesthesia.
Pharmacology: binds to alpha 1 adrenoreceptors - GPCR - conformation change causes exchange of GDP to GTP, activates receptors, activates PLC, increased levels of DAG and IP3 results in activation of PKC and increased Calcium ion concentration results in smooth muscle contraction.
Physiology: calcium ion binds to calmodulin, activates MLKC, phosphorylated myosin light chain results in smooth muscle contraction.
Increase SVR.
What is the use of acetylcholine on smooth muscle in gut?
**Chemistry: targets muscarinic receptors (M3) which is a GPCR
Pharmacology: activates PLC, resulting in splitting of PIP2 into IP3 and DAG, increases Intracellular calcium ion conc causing muscle contraction
Physiology: increases parasympathetic tone via vagus nerve stimulation, amplitude of peristalsis contraction, and secretory active of GIT and relaxes sphincters.
What is the use of sildenafil?
Clinical: indicated for pulmonary arterial hypertension, erectile dysfunction and digital ulcers.
Chemistry: is a phosphodiesterase (PDE5) inhibitor, molecular structures mimics cGMP
Pharmacology: competitive inhibitor of PDE5 binding to catalytic site, prevents PDE5 from breaking down cGMP.
cGMP-dependent protein kinase pathway is activated, phosphorylates multiple targets in smooth muscle cells, decreased intracellular calcium, resulting in deactivation of MLKC resulting in smooth muscle relaxation.
Physiology: Vasodilator/relaxation of smooth muscles (allows corpus cavernosum to fill with blood in erevtile dysfunction)
What is the use of atropine?
Clinical: indicated to treat bradycardia and relieve gastro-intestinal disorders characterised by smooth muscle spasm.
Chemistry: heterocyclic ring.
Pharmacology: non-specific c reversible antagonist of muscarinic (cholinergic) receptors.
Physiology: effects areas acted on by post-ganglionic cholinergic nerves.
What is the use of pilocarpine?
Clinical use: treat dryness of the motuh and throat caused by a decrease in saliva (sjogrens syndrome or after radiation for cancer of head/neck), lower intraocular pressure in glucoma
Chemistry: alkaloid, cholinergic drug
Pharmacology: partial agonist at muscarinic receptors
Mainly M3 (GPCR) activates the PLC secondary messenger pathway to increase calcium ion concentration, resulting in smooth muscle contraction.
Also an agonist at M1 and M2 receptors - may cause bradycardia and hypotension
Physiology: Miosis, increased smooth muscle tone
What is the use of histamine on the ileum?
Pharmacology: H3 receptors on smooth muscle of the ileum, mediates inhibition of muscle contractility.
Physiology: hyperpolsriastion due to increased permeability to K+ channels.
Clinical: vasodilator, inhibit contraction of smooth muscle
What is the use of mepyramine on the ileum?
Clinical: is an anti-histamine
Pharmacology: targets the H1 receptor found on smooth muscle, blood vessels, skin nerves and brain.
Selective receptor reversible competitive antagonist,
competing with histamine for the binding site, does not cause a response itself.
Shows surmountable antagonist as effect is altered by changing the concentration of histamine/mepyramine.
What is the effect of acetylcholine on the cardiovascular system?
Chemistry: Neurotransmitter, released by vagus nerve
Pharmacology: Mucarinic receptors
SA node: binds to M2 receptors (GPCR), open acetyl-choline activated potassium ion channel - hyperpolarisation of SAN - no firing of the action potential as greater than normal stimuli required.
Aorta: M3 receptors (GPCRS) in smooth muscle in tunica media:
Activated alpha subunit, Causes inhibition of adenylate cyclase, reducing conversion
Physiology: negative chronotopic and ionotropic effects, dilated aorta, reduced cardiac output and reduced flow rate. **
What are the different pieces of equipment in the organ abth experiment?
Chart recorder
Force transducer
Tissue
Valve
Coil
Valve
Reservoir
What is the role of the chart recorder in organ bath experiment?
Records measurements from force transducer