Pharmacology of the nervous system

Question 1

what is pharmacology?

Answer 1

A chemical substance that interacts with a specific target within a biological system to produce a physiologic effect. (better definition)
OR
the study of how chemical agents (drugs) can influence the function of living systems

Question 2

what three questions should you always ask yourself when looking at a drug?

(whether you are thinking of its therapeutic or side effect)

Answer 2

1) Where is the effect produced?
2) What is the target for the drug?
3) What is the response produced after interaction with this target?

Question 3

Taking heroin as an example, what is the response, target and where is the effect of the drug produced?

Answer 3

response- euphoria, analgesia, cough suppression.
where the effect is produced: peri-aqueductal grey region, ventral tegmental area, solitary nucleus.
target: opioid receptors

Question 4

What are the 4 main classes of targets of drugs?

Answer 4

usually proteins:

• ion channels
• receptors
• enzymes
• transporter proteins

Question 5

what are the targets for the following drugs: atorvastatin, amlodipine, salbutamol, citalopram?

Answer 5

atorvastatin- enzyme
amlodipine- ion channel
salbutamol- receptor
citalopram-transporter proteins

Question 6

What 2 effects can a drug have?

Answer 6

enhance activation or prevent(reduce) activation (stimulate or antagonist)

Question 7

What is the role and function of atorvastatin?

Answer 7

it is a statin. statins block enzymes.it blocks hmg-coA reductase which is used for cholesterol synthesis.

Question 8

What is the role and function of amlodipine?

Answer 8

calcium channel blocke. stops contraction. first line of treatment for hypertension. reduces blood pressure.

Question 9

What is the role and function of salbutamol?

Answer 9

binds to beta 2 adreba receptor to dilate airways. asthma pumps

Question 10

What is the role and function of citalopram?

Answer 10

used for depression. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. ( transport protein that removes serotonin from the synapse). citalopram binds to it.

Question 11

For a drug to be effective what must it show?

Answer 11

a high degree of selectivity

Question 12

why might selectivity be more important for drugs rather than endogenous compounds like the neurotransmitter dopamine?

Answer 12

endogenous compounds are delivered directly to their target . the target will be the only thing it comes in contact with. effect-localised
drugs usually get into bloodstream so the effect is NOT localised. start to lose selectivity.

Question 13

what is a side effect?

Answer 13

an effect produced by the drug that is secondary to the intended effect

Question 14

what is the difference between a side effect and an adverse effect?

Answer 14

An adverse effect is a negative side effect however, the two terms are often used interchangeably as the negative effect can be minor(runny nose) or major(heart attack)

Question 15

Name a dopamine receptor agonist(acts like dopamine)

Answer 15

Pramipexole

Question 16

Name a disease dopamine is used to treat

Answer 16

Parkinsons

Question 17

Are side effects on or off target?

Answer 17

Both

Question 18

Explain the concept of dosage.

Answer 18

At a specific dosage, the drug will be able to bind to the receptors of the chemical they are most similar to, producing their effects. As the dosage increases, it starts to bind to the receptors of other chemicals with a similar structure, producing their effects.

Question 19

What is the danger of administering a drug in which its target receptors are prevalent?

Answer 19

Can affect any of these targets, and not just the intended target.

Question 20

Side effects can be produced by drug action:

Answer 20

a) on other targets in the same tissue or other tissues
b) on the same target in other tissues
c) dependent on the dose of drug administered

Question 21

Which drugs are the safest?

Answer 21

those where there is a LARGE difference between the dose required to induce the desired effect and the dose required to induce side effects/adverse effects.

Question 22

Which drugs tend to have a larger margin of safety, those given orally or those given in a more controlled setting?

Answer 22

those given orally.