Test One Flashcards
Pharmacology
Study of properties and effects of drugs on living systems
Drug names
Chemical, generic, trade
Main sites of drug action
Ligand-gated channel G-protein coupled receptors Kinase-linked receptors Nuclear receptors
Ligand-gated ion channel receptors
- Transmembrane proteins arranged around a central aqueous pore
- Channel opens in response to a ligand or voltage change
G Protein-coupled receptors
- Transmembrane receptor coupled to intracellular system
- Subunits alpha, beta, and gamma
- GTP binds, alpha is released, starts second messenger system
Kinase-linked receptors
- Transmembrane protein
- Intracellular tail has enzyme activity
- Binding causes phosphorylation, possibly a cascade
Nuclear Receptors
- DNA-coupled receptors stimulate gene transcription
- Ligand must be lipophilic - normally steroids
Mechanism of Action
Specific cellular changes mediated by a drug that cause a clinically evident response
Receptor Occupancy
The number of receptors bound to the drug
Intensity is related to concentration and affinity
Intrinsic activity
How much effect does the drug have on receptor action?
Efficacy vs Potency
- Efficacy - the magnitude of a drug response
- Potency - how much drug is required to reach desired effect
Competitive vs Noncompetitive Antagonist
- Competitive - reduces potency but not maximum effect. Normally competes for receptors
- Noncompetitive - reduces the efficacy but not potency. Different binding site
Margin of Safety
TD50 / ED50
- The larger the margin, the safer the drug
Hyper-reactivity
Response at low dose
Hypo-reactivity
No response until a high dose administered