Drug Mechanisms

Question 1

Targets of drug action

Answer 1

Receptors, ion channels, enzymes, carriers.

Question 2

Levels at which drugs work

Answer 2

Molecular, cellular, tissue, systemic.

Question 3

Two types of drug-receptor interactions

Answer 3

Agonists - activate receptors, antagonists block receptors without activation.

Question 4

Affinity vs efficacy in drug mechanisms.

Answer 4

Affinity is the ability of a drug to bind to a receptor, while efficacy is the ability to activate the receptor.

Question 5

Full vs partial agonists

Answer 5

Full agonists produce a maximal response while partial agonists produce sub-maximal responses.

Question 6

Competitive vs irreversible antagonists

Answer 6

Competitive antagonists bind reversibly, meaning increased dose of agonist can reverse their effect, irreversible antagonists bind permanently reducing responses even if agonist is present.

Question 7

Nicotine acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)

Answer 7

A ligand-gated ion channel composed of five subunits involved in neurotransmission, can be activated by nicotine (agonist) or blocked by tubocuraine (antagonist).

Question 8

Dihydropyridine receptor (DHP-R)

Answer 8

A Ca2+ channel that serves as a prototype pharmalogical receptor, involved in excitation-contraction coupling of muscle cells.