Principles of drug action

1 Principles of drug action




Under normal physiological conditions, hormones (e.g. epinephrine) or neurotransmitters (e.g. acetylcholine) play an important role in transmitting information from one cell to another. They do so by binding to and inducing an alteration in the conformational state (structure) of specific proteins (receptors).



Drugs


Drugs are chemicals that alter the biological response of cells. Their chemical structure often mimics a natural substance in the body but they can be chemically distinct; in either case they selectively target receptors (Fig. 3.1.1). The binding of a drug to its receptor is the first step in a series of complex reactions inside the cell that ultimately evokes a therapeutic effect and, therefore, provides a ‘magic bullet’ for the treatment of disease. The drug can either initiate an endogenous process or inhibit the action of endogenous hormones and neurotransmitters.



Jul 18, 2016 | Posted by in PHARMACY | Comments Off on Principles of drug action

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