Pharmacology Flashcards
Define partial agonist
A drug that fails to produce maximal effects even when all receptors are bound by the drug
Define potency
Potency is the amount of drug required to produce 50% of the maximal response the drug is capable of inducing
Define pharmacokinetics
What the body does to the drug
What type of receptor is the nicotinic cholinergic receptor?
Ligand-gated ion channel
Define efficacy
- Efficacy is the probability of a drug activating a receptor once bound
- Aka the degree to which a drug is able to produce maximal effects
Define pharmacodynamics
What the drug does to the body
Define affinity and how it is measured
- Affinity is the probability or strength of a drug binding to its receptors
- Measured with equilibrium dissociation constant
KA = drug concentration required for 50% occupancy of receptors
Describe the journey a PO medication must take to reach systemic circulation
GIT -> liver -> R) heart -> lung -> L) heart -> systemic circulation
Define each of ADME
Absorption - how drug gets into circulation
Distribution - how drug spreads through body
Metabolism - chemical changes to the drug
Excretion - physical expulsion of the drug
What are the 6 steps in pharmacokinetics?
Administration, absorption, distribution, elimination, metabolism, excretion
Describe the 3 steps in ACh synthesis
1 Choline taken up into cell by choline carrier
2 Choline + acetyl-CoA → acetylcholine + CoA via choline acetyltransferase
3 ACh put into vesicle
What is a clinical use for nicotinic receptor antagonists?
Pre-surgical muscle relaxant
Name 3 clinical uses of ACh esterase inhibitors
Dx of myasthenia gravis
Rx of myasthenia gravis
Rx of Alzheimer’s disease
What is a clinical use for nicotinic receptor agonists?
Smoking cessation
What is the mechanism of action of atropine?
What are 4 clinical uses of atropine?
Muscarinic antagonist.
Bronchodilation and decrease respiratory mucous in anaesthesia
To increase heart rate.
Pupil dilation for eye examination.
AChE-inhibitor poisoning (organophosphates)
What is the mechanism of action of botulimin toxin
Name 3 conditions it may be used for
Botulimin toxin inhibits presynaptic ACh release by inhibiting vesicular exocytosis by acting as a protease on SNARE proteins.
Used to treat dystonia, migraine or underarm sweating
What are H2 antagonists used to treat and what is their mechanism of action?
Used to treat peptic ulcers.
Inhibit acid secretion by parietal cells in stomach by disrupting proton pump.
H1 antagonists:
What class of drugs are these?
Name 5 things they are used to treat.
Name 2 new generation drugs
Antihistamines
Used to treat hayfever, itchiness, motion sickness, anaphylaxis, bites/stings
New generation = cetirizine, loratidine
Describe the 4 steps in NA synthesis
1 Tyrosine taken up into cell
2 Tyrosine → L-Dopa (catalysed by tyrosin hydroxylase)
3 L-DOPA → Dopamine (catalysed by dopa decarboxylase)
4 Dopamine taken up into vesicle and converted into NA (catalysed by dopamine beta hydroxylase)
What are 7 clinical consequences of adrenaline administration?
Vasoconstriction
GI muscle relaxation
Salivation
Hepatic glycogenolysis
Increased heart rate
Increased cardiac contractility
Bronchodilation
What is the mode of action of aminoglycosides?
Aminoglycosides bind to specific proteins in 30s ribosome subunit and inhibit binding of formylmethionyl-tRNA (fmet-tRNA) to ribosome, thus inhibit protein synthesis,
Also cause misreading of mRNA codons
How do beta lactams exert antimicrobial effects?
Beta lactams inhibit synthesis of cell wall by binding to PBPs (penicillin-binding proteins)
List 3 enzymes that beta lactams may inhibit
Transpeptidase
Transglycosylase
Carboxypeptidase
What is the mechanism of action of loop diuretics?
Inhibit Na/K/2Cl carrier in ascending loop of Henle
What is the mechanism of action of potassium-sparing diuretics?
Block Na transporter in collecting tubules and ducts
Plus or minus:
Inhibit synthesis of Na/K cotransporter in collecting tubules and ducts