Pharmacology 1

Question 1

What are drugs?

Answer 1

• Drugs are substances that selectively interact with endogenous molecules to modify the functions of cells, physiological systems and living organisms
• Used in the treatment or prevention of disease= considered pharmaceuticals or medicines

Question 2

2 types of drugs?

Answer 2

• Agonists – bind to and activate receptors to produce a biological response
• Antagonists – blocks or dampens a biological response by binding to and blocking a receptor rather than activating it like an agonist

Question 3

Two main branches of pharmacology

Answer 3

Pharmacokinetics (PK) — How the drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized or excreted (ADME).

Pharmacodynamics (PD) — How well the targets respond to the drug (e.g. receptors, ion channels, enzymes, and immune system components). Also what the drug does to the body.

Question 4

How do Drugs act generally speaking?

Answer 4

Drugs act by binding to receptors.

They then cause either activation or inhibition of a regular body process to give a biological response.

Question 5

Pharmacodynamics

Answer 5

The study of the physiological effects of drugs on the body and the mechanisms of drug action and the relationship between drug concentration and effect

Mechanism(s) of drug action
Time course of drug effects
Adverse drug effects
Drug-drug interactions

Question 6

Response examples in a dose-response curve:

Answer 6

The response is biological effect:

• Quantity or proportion
• — frequency of seizures
• — mortality rate (%)
• Continuous measurement
• — blood pressure
• Ordered descriptive category
• — severity of lesion

Question 7

Types of targets for drug action:

Answer 7

Protein targets for drug action:

• Receptors – for neurotransmitters and hormones
• Enzymes – e.g. angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and cyclo-oxygenase (COX)
• Transporters – carrier molecules, e.g. for monoamine neurotransmitters
• Ion channels – Na+ and Ca2+

Question 8

How drugs affect enzymes:

Answer 8

Drugs can act as a substrate analogue (fake substrate) that enzymes target instead of the actual substrate= competitive inhibitor.
Sometimes the binding is irreversible and non-competitive

Question 8

How drugs affect enzymes:

Answer 8

Drugs can act as a substrate analogue (fake substrate) that enzymes target instead of the actual substrate= competitive inhibitor.
Sometimes the binding is irreversible and non-competitive