Pharmacology : Basis

Question 1

Pharmacodynamic ?

Answer 1

Describe what the drugs does to the body

Question 2

Pharmacokinetics ?

Answer 2

Describe what the body does to the drug

Question 3

Cell signalling ?

Answer 3

Ability to receive, process and transmit signals with its environment and with itself

Question 4

What is direct cell to cell signalling ?

Answer 4

Target a cell that is connected to it by gap junction with a channel

Question 5

What is paracrine signalling ?

Answer 5

Targeting a cell nearby but without direct contact (ex : release of neurotransmitters in a synapse)

Question 6

What is endocrine signalling ?

Answer 6

Targeting a distant cell through the bloodstream

Question 7

What is an agonist ? Who are they ? What do they do ?

Answer 7

They activate the receptor as the molecule would do it by binding on it. Most signalling molecules in the body ate agonist : adrenaline, noradrenaline, histamine or acetylcholine.

Question 8

What are partial agonist ? What are they used for ?

Answer 8

They can be used in therapy to replace complete agonist when the effect don’t necessarily need to be massive or to lesser the side effect.
They are also used because they can act as agonist or antagonist of the same molecule depending on the region.

Question 9

What are antagonist ? What do they do ?

Answer 9

Antagonist block the effect of a molecule by binding to its receptors and blocking the molecule from binding to it therefore activating the cell.

Question 10

What is a competitive antagonist ?

Answer 10

A competitive antagonist has to fight with the agonist for the binding site. In a certain zone whoever has the highest concentration will get the higher number of binding.
But those are reversible binding, those molecules are not being binded forever with the receptors they detach after causing their effect.
Therefore the effect of a competitive antagonist can be overcome with time if sufficiently agonist are present.

Question 11

What are non competitive antagonist ?

Answer 11

Non competitive antagonist don’t need to compete with the agonist for the binding site because they are able to block the binding site without attaching themselves to it but by binding to another site on the receptors.
They are not reversible, once the antagonist is binded, it won’t come off and the cell will need to create new receptors and wait for those to die to overcome the effect of the non competitive antagonist.

Question 12

Efficacy ?

Answer 12

The ability to produce an effect.
Only agonist have efficacy.

Question 13

Affinity ?

Answer 13

Ability to bind to the receptors

Question 14

What is a specific action ?

Answer 14

A action from a molecule that act directly on its receptors without passing by an intermediate.

Question 15

What is a selective drugs ?

Answer 15

Drugs / molecules that only act at one particular target.

Question 16

What are the agonist and antagonist of the sympathetic nervous system ?

Answer 16

Agonist : adrenaline and noradrenaline
Antagonist : prazosin and propanol

Question 17

What are the agonist and antagonist of the parasympathetic nervous system ?

Answer 17

Agonist : acetylcholine
Antagonist : atropine

Question 18

Who are the adrenergic receptors and who activate them ?

Answer 18

There are 4 adrenergic receptors : alpha 1, alpha 2, beta 1 and beta 2.
There are activated by the sympathetic nervous system.
Alpha 1 : more activated by noradrenaline
Alpha 2 : more activated by adrenaline
Beta 1 : activated equally by both adrenaline and noradrenaline
Beta 2 : a lot more activated by adrenaline

Question 19

What does the activation of alpha 1 do ? And Where are they ?

Answer 19

Present on the smooth muscles, glands and organs.
It causes vasoconstriction increasing then the peripheral resistance, the blood pressure.
It also cause mydriasis and increase the closure of the bladder sphincter.

Question 20

What does the activation of alpha 2 receptors do and where are they ?

Answer 20

Present in the presynaptic terminals.
They inhibit noradrenaline, acetylcholine and insulin. They control negative feedback to stop the central nervous system to have a too big effect.

Question 21

What does the activation of beta 1 receptors do and where are they ?

Answer 21

Present in the heart and the juxtaglomerular.
It causes increase in heart rate, contraction, renin release (causing an increase in blood pressure and blood volume) and lipolysis.

Question 22

What does the activation beta 2 receptors do and where are they ?

Answer 22

Present in smooth muscles, glands and organs.
It causes vasodilatation (which cause a decrease in peripheral resistance), bronchodilation (which relax the airway), an increase in glycogenolysis and glucagon release.

Question 23

What are orthosteric drugs ?

Answer 23

Drugs that bind at the active site.
Agonist and competitive antagonist drugs.

Question 24

What are allosteric drugs ?

Answer 24

Drugs that don’t bind on the active surface of the receptor but elsewhere on the protein surface.
Antagonist non competitive.

Question 25

What is furosemide ?

Answer 25

A medication that expels water along with salt and potassium.

Question 26

What are the side effect of digoxin ?

Answer 26

A visual disturbance characterised by a green halo and a low apical pulse.