Module 4 - Pharmacodynamics Flashcards
- PD Vocabulary - Ligands and Receptors
Agonist (PD)
Molecule that binds to a receptor and causes a response.
Drugs that produce a change in the cell functioning
Allosteric site
A site that allows molecules to either activate or inhibit (or turn off) enzyme activity.
Antagonist (PD)
Molecule that binds to a receptor and blocks the response.
Drugs that stop a normal function of the cell
Dose-Response Curve
Graph (Response vs. log10 Dose). Simply put, as the dose of drug increases, the response should increase.
- Dose-response curve: related a drug’s dose to the response
- Y-axis: % Response (Calculated as: Effect/Maximal Effect)
- X-axis: Dose (Linear or Semilogarithmic)
E-max
Maximum effect a specific drug has (it’s a value specific to every drug)
ED-50
The median effective dose, or the dose which produces a response in 50% of subjects.
Endogenous
Molecule produced by the body.
Exogenous
Molecule introduced into the body
Full agonist
A molecule or drug that can cause a FULL or MAXIMAL response.
Ligand
Molecule that binds to a target.
Mechanism of Action
How a drug produces its effects
Orthosteric site
A site of a receptor in which the endogenous ligand binds to produce its effects.
Partial agonist
A molecule or drug that provokes a response but less than 100%.
Potency
The potency of a drug refers to the dose (actual the molar concentration) required to produce a specific intensity of effect.
Site of action
A location where a drug exerts its effects
Specificity
The ability of a drug to bind to a SPECIFIC receptor (because of molecular interactions between the ligand and the receptor).
Target
A molecule or molecular structure, such as a protein or a nucleic acid, that a drug or other compound interacts with and has a response.
Therapeutic Index
This is the ratio of toxic to effective doses at the level of 50% response:
TD-50/ED-50.
Proteins
Large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body. They do most of the work in cells and are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs.
