Lecture 3: Introduction to Pharmacology of the Nervous System

Question 1

What is pharmacology?

Answer 1

the study of how chemical agents (drugs) can influence the function of living systems

Question 2

What is a drug?

Answer 2

a chemical substance that interacts with a specific target within a biological system to produce a physiologic effect

Question 3

What 3 questions can be used to describe how a drug works?

Answer 3

1. Where is the effect produced?
2. What is the target for the drug?
3. What is the response produced after interaction with this target?

Question 4

What do majority of drugs target?

Answer 4

Proteins

Question 5

What 4 main classes of proteins do drugs generally target?

Answer 5

1) receptors
2) enzymes
3) transport proteins
4) ion channels

Question 6

Drugs act on targets to do what?

Answer 6

• enhance activation (stimulate an effect) or prevent activation (block an effect from being produced)

Question 7

What is meant by drug selectivity?

Answer 7

A drug must show a high degree of selectivity for a particular drug target because drugs often circulate in the bloodstream and can cause side effects if they interact with other targets

Question 8

What is a side effect?

Answer 8

An effect produced by the drug that is secondary to the intended effect. (also termed adverse if negative effect)

Question 9

How can side effects be produced?

Answer 9

By drug action:

• on other targets in the same tissue or other tissues
• in the same target in other tissues
• dependent on the dose of drug administered

Question 10

What are the ‘safest’ drugs?

Answer 10

Those where there is a large difference between the dose required to induce the desired effect and the dose required to induce side effects/adverse effects