Pharmocology Flashcards
Pharmacodynamics
What the drug does to the body (biological effects and mechanism of action)
Pharmacokinetics
What the body does to the drug (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion)
Potency
If A can do the same effect as B at a lower concentration it has a higher potency
Efficacy
Measure of how good a substrate is at activating a receptor. Low efficacy = low V max (maximum velocity/rate the enzyme catalyzes a reaction)
Km
Concentration of a substrate which permits the enzyme to achieve half of Vmax.
An enzyme with a high Km has a low affinity for substrate so needs a high concentration to produce half of the maximum response (Vmax)
Agonists
Reversibly binds to a receptor eliciting a response. Has affinity and efficacy
Antagonists
Blood receptor preventing activation
Affinity but no efficacy
What is a competitive antagonist and how does it affect the concentration/response curve
Both the agonist and antagonist try to bind to the same active site
Right parallel shift in graph (need high concentration of agonist to produce Vmax)
Vmax is the same but Km is higher (greater concentration needed to achieve half Vmax)
What is a non-competitive inhibitor and how does is affect the concentration/response curve
Non-competitive antagonist binds to allosteric site
Vmax is decreased as active site changes shape and an’t bind to substrate
Km is the same
Absorption
Process by which drug enters the body from its site of administration
Distribution
Process by which a drug leaves the circulation and enters the tissues
Once within tissues further distribution can occur via carrier mediated transport or diffusion
Metabolism
Process by which tissue enzymes (in liver) catalyse the chemical conversion of a drug to a more polar form that is more easily excreted
Excretion
Process that removes the drug from the body
Principally in kidneys
Elimination
Metabolism and excretion
pKa
pH when 50% of the drug is ionized and 50% is unionized
Acidic drugs become less ionized in an acidic environment
Basic drugs become less ionized in a basic environment
Oral Availability
Fraction of drug that reaches the systemic circulation after oral ingestion
Systemic availability
fraction of drug that reaches circulation after absorption
Vd
drug dose/plasma concentration
Kel
rate of removal = clearance x plasma concentration
After 5 half loves most of the drug has left the body