L1 Basics of pharmacology Flashcards
What is pharmacology?
The study of what the drug does to the body and what the body does to the drug
Define pharmacodynamics
The effect of the drug on the body
Define pharmacokinetics
The effect of the body on the drug
What are the four main classes of drug targets?
- Receptors
- Ion Channels
- Carrier Molecules
- Enzymes
What is an agonist?
A substance that activates a receptor
What is an antagonist?
A substance that blocks the action of agonists
What are the four main types of receptors?
- Intracellular receptors
- Enzyme (kinase) linked receptors
- G-protein coupled receptors
- Ligand gated ion channels
Where do our drugs come from?
- Naturally occurring (plants & fungi)
- Synthetic (manufactured)
- Biologics (derived from natural compounds)
Give an example of a drug derived from a plant.
Aspirin from willow tree bark
What is the role of pharmacodynamics in drug therapy?
It allows us to determine the appropriate dose range for patients and compare the efficacy and safety of one drug to another
What are the steps of pharmacokinetics?
- Absorption
- Distribution
- Metabolism
- Excretion
What does absorption refer to in pharmacokinetics?
The process from the site of administration into the blood
Fill in the blank: The _______ is the elimination of the drug from the body.
Excretion
True or False: Drug target interactions are solely based on the drug’s concentration.
False
What are the types of interactions that determine drug binding to its target?
- Van der Waals forces
- Hydrogen bonds
- Ionic interactions
- Covalent bonds
What is signal transduction?
The process by which a drug mimics or blocks the action of endogenous chemical messengers
What is the function of G-protein coupled receptors?
They are coupled to effector proteins that produce second messengers
Fill in the blank: Salbutamol is a _______ receptor agonist.
β2
What is the function of enzymes in drug action?
They can either be inhibited or act as a false substrate
Define ligand-gated ion channels.
Channel-linked receptors that require an agonist to open the channel
What is the role of voltage-gated channels?
They require a change in membrane potential to open/close
What is the significance of receptor subtypes?
They determine the specific response of a cell based on the receptor subtype expressed
True or False: All drugs have the same mechanism of action.
False
What are nuclear receptors?
A family of soluble receptors involved in gene transcription changes
What is the role of phosphorylation in signal transduction?
It is a mechanism for biological information transfer
Name a drug that acts as an antagonist at the GABA A receptor.
Benzodiazepines
What is the primary action of antihistamines?
To block the action of histamines
Fill in the blank: The _______ is an example of a drug that acts on a voltage-gated sodium channel.
Lidocaine
What are the two major classes of nuclear receptors?
- Class I: Located in cytoplasm
- Class II: Present in nucleus
What type of receptor does insulin bind to?
Insulin receptor, which is a receptor tyrosine kinase
True or False: Full agonists can produce a maximal response in the system.
True
