Name the 7 major pharmacology sub-disciplines:
Pharmacodynamics Pharmacokinetics Pharmacogenomics Toxicology Therapeutics Pharmacoeconomics Pharmacoepidemiology
What is pharmacology?
The study of the effects of chemical agents of therapeutic value (drugs) or potential toxicity on biological systems (what drugs do and how they do it).
What is pharmacodynamics?
The study of the molecular, biochemical and physiological effects of drugs on cellular/bodily systems and their mechanisms of action.
What is pharmacokinetics?
The study of the (fate) absorption, distribution and elimination of drugs.
What is pharmacogenomics?
The study of genetic influences of the effectiveness and fate of drugs.
What is toxicology?
The study of the adverse or toxic effects of drugs and other chemical agents.
Name the five major sources of drugs:
Plants Micro-organisms (fungi/bacteria) Endogenous proteins/steroids Modification of endogenous compounds Synthetic chemicals
Name two drugs extracted from plants and herbs and their actions:
- Opium poppy (dried juice from seeds, powerful opiate)
Yields morphine-
Powerful painkiller and inducer of euphoria. - Foxglove (leaves contain digitalis)
Yields digoxin-
Reversible inhibitor of Na/K ATPase, widely used to treat congestive heart failure, but can be lethal at high doses.
Name a drug produced from micro-organisms (fungi or bacteria):
Antibiotics- penicillin-
Interferes with bacterial cell wall synthesis.
Name three drugs from the body itself (endogenous):
Hormones:
1. Insulin- treats diabetes
- Thyroxine- treatment of thyroid insufficiency
- Growth hormone- treatment of short stature
Most hormonal drugs now produced by recombinant DNA technology (proteins) or chemical synthesis (steroids, peptides).
Name two classes of drugs which result from the bodies own hormones/chemical regulators, giving example(s) for each:
- Hormonal drugs-
Ethinyl estradiol- readily absorbed form of oestrogen
Prednisolone- synthetic steroid with glucocorticoid-like actions (regulates glucose metabolism). - Anti-cancer drugs-
6-mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine- modified base components of DNA/RNA which interfere with DNA/RNA synthesis.
Name three drugs which come from chemical synthesis of novel compounds with desirable properties:
- COX inhibitors- NSAIDS (indomethacin, celecoxib).
- Cimetidine- Histamine receptor modulator.
- Simvastatin- HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor.
Give three examples of drugs discovered by chance:
- Anti-depressants- some monoamine oxidase inhibitors and tricyclic anti-depressants discovered by failed attempts to treat TB and pre-anaesthetic drugs (respectively).
- Cisplatin- platinum-containing drug used to treat cancers, discovered while investigating effects of electrical fields on bacterial cell growth.
- Viagra- given to male med students to treat hypotension.
What is the difference between the brand name and the generic name of the drug?
Brand name- drug companies marketing name.
Generic name- related to structure, composition or course of the drug (preferred for general use)
How would you distinguish between the brand name and generic name of the drug?
The brand name starts with an uppercase letter, the generic name starts with a lowercase letter.
What are some complications arising from using drug brand names?
Brand names can change over time with the merging of pharmaceutical companies and patent expiring.
Drugs can go by different names in different countries in both brand and generic name.
__________ are the most common drug targets.
Proteins
Name the four common drug targets which are proteins:
- Receptors
- Enzymes
- Ion channels
- Transporter molecules
(Drugs that target ligands such as MABs are a new class of drug)
Name two non-protein drug targets:
- DNA and RNA
2. Lipids
