Pharmacology Flashcards
Give 3 protein targets for drug action
- ) Receptors
- ) Ion channels
- ) Enzymes
- ) Transporters
What are ion channels?
Gateways in cell membranes that selectively allow ion passage
What are ligand gated ion channels?
Channels that open when an agonist molecule binds
What are voltage gated ion channels?
Open when transmembrane potential changes
How can drugs affect ion channel function?
By binding to the orthosteric (primary) site and blocking the allosteric (non-primary) site, and changing the configuration for that the ligand cannot bind
What are 2 types of inhibitors?
Competitive and non-competitive
What are G protein coupled receptors?
Receptors coupled to intracellular effector systems by G proteins
Give an example of a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR)
Beta adrenoreceptors
What are G proteins?
Membrane proteins which function to recognise activated GPCRs and pass on the message to intracellular effectors
Give an example of an intracellular effector
CAMP
What do kinase linked and related receptors mainly respond to?
Protein mediators
Give an example of a kinase linked receptor
Growth factor receptor
What do nuclear receptors do?
Regulate gene transcription and recognise foreign molecules
Give an example of a nuclear receptor
Steroid receptor
What is an agonist?
Binds to receptor and activates it
What is an antagonist?
Binds to receptor and reduces its effect by reversing its action
What is Emax?
Describes the maximum response for a given agonist - full agonists give maximal responses
What is affinity?
How well a ligand binds to a receptor - agonists and antagonists
What is efficacy?
How well a ligand activates a receptor - agonists only
What is potency?
How much of a drug needs to be given, binding affinity
What is the equation for intrinsic activity?
Emax of partial agonist/ Emax of full agonist
What is EC50?
The concentration of a drug that gives half of the maximal response
How can we find out the EC50?
From a potency (sigmoidal shaped) curve
What 2 things can we compare drugs by?
Potency (how much is needed for it to work)
Efficacy (maximal response)
What are the 2 main types of cholinergic receptors?
Nicotinic and muscarinic
Where are the 4 types of histamine receptors found?
H1 - allergic conditions
H2 - gastric acid secretion
H3 - mostly in CNS disorders
H4 - immune system and inflammatory conditions
Is histamine an agonist or antagonist?
Agonist
What does histamine do?
Causes contraction of the ileum and acid secretion from parietal cells (H2)
What causes reversed contraction of the ileum?
Mepyramine, antagonist
What is allosteric modulation?
A second ligand has the capacity to modify the response whilst not being in the agonist site
What is the difference between an antagonist and an inverse agonist?
Antagonist usually just neutralises the effects of an agonist, whereas an inverse agonist has the capacity to repress the response to the receptor - do the opposite
What is an enzyme inhibitor?
A molecule that binds to an enzyme and (normally) decreases its activity
How does an enzyme inhibitor work?
By preventing the substate from entering the enzyme’s active site and thus preventing it from catalysing its reaction
What are the 2 main type of enzyme inhibitors?
Irreversible and reversible
How do irreversible inhibitors usually work?
Bind via a covalent bond and change enzyme chemically
What ways can an inhibitor bind to the enzyme?
Enzyme or enzyme-substrate complex
How do statins work?
By blocking the rate limiting step in the cholesterol pathway
How does aspirin work?
Irreversible inactivation of cyclooxygenase (COX)
How does ibuprofen work?
Completely inhibiting arachidonic acid at the active site of COX
How does penicillin work?
Inhibits transpeptidases, preventing cross linking and inhibiting bacterial wall synthesis
How do PPIs work?
Inhibit gastric acid secretion from parietal cells by irreversibly inactivating proton pumps
How do (some) diuretics work?
Inhibit symporters in areas of the kidney nephron so that there is a reduced reabsorption of salt from the filtrate
What does xenobiotic mean?
Compounds foreign to an organism’s normal biochemistry
What are the 3 main types of protein port?
- ) Uniporter
- ) Symporter
- ) Antipoter
How do uniporters work?
Uses energy from ATP
How do symporters work?
Use movement of one molecule to pull another molecular in against its concentration gradient
How do antiporters work?
One substance moves against its gradient using energy from the second substance moving down its gradient
What are the 4 phases of pharmacokinetics?
- ) Absorption
- ) Distribution
- ) Metabolism
- ) Elimination
What is absorption?
The process of transferring the drug from the site of administration into the general or systemic circulation
Give 3 methods of administration of a drug
- ) Oral
- ) IV
- ) Intra-arterial
- ) IM
- ) SC
- ) Inhaled
- ) Topical
- ) Sublingual
- ) Rectal
- ) Intrathecal
Give 3 ways in which drugs move around the body
- ) Blood
- ) Lymphatics
- ) CSF
- ) Diffusion
Give 3 methods of transport for molecules
- ) Simple diffusion
- ) Facilitated diffusion
- ) Active transport
- ) Through extracellular spaces
- ) Via aquaporins
- ) Pinocytosis
What sort of pH is aspirin?
Weak acid
What sort of pH is propranolol?
Weak base
How do drugs with ionisable groups exist?
In equilibrium between charged (ionised) and uncharged forms
What are the most water soluble types of drugs?
Ionised
Define pKa of a drug
Dissociation or ionisation constant
What does pKa of a drug mean?
The pH at which half of the substance is ionised and half is unionised