Categorising drug action in terms of receptors is a central theme of pharmacology; the study of the
interactions between drugs and receptors at a molecular or biochemical level is known as
pharmacodynamics
1905 - Langley introduced the idea of ‘receptive substance’ – the part of a cell with which hormones
and transmitters interact
Lock and key hypothesis
1926 – Clark proposed that there is a reversible monomolecular reaction between acetylcholine and
its receptive substance; the receptive substance (receptor) only accounts for a small part of the cell
Receptor occupancy is related to drug concentration; response is related to drug concentration;
response is related to receptor occupancy; agonist + receptor = agonist-receptor complex/response
A + R -> AR
At equilibrium: from basic kinetic theory; agonist-receptor complex
concentration is proportional to [A] and [R]
The rate at which the AR complexes dissociate is proportional to the concentration of AR; in 3, the
constant is the dissociation constant, KA
KA = dissociation (equilibrium) constant for agonist A; Kaff = affinity constant for agonist A
Referring to the equation KA= [A][R]/ [AR]; high affinity=low KA and low affinity= high KA
Determining relationship of receptor occupancy (y) to [A], KA at equilibrium
If y = proportion of receptors occupied (where 1
= all possible receptors bound i.e., maximum
binding), binding as fraction of maximum binding
When y = 0.5 then KA = [A]
In a drug binding curve
When we express the concentration of agonist against occupancy, i.e., the
fraction of receptors that are bound (y), at y = 0.5, we can determine the KA
Relate the binding (occupancy/y) to the
response (EA/EM); response = binding
,y = proportion of receptors occupied by A
KA = dissociation constant for agonist A
[A] = concentration of A
Partial agonists
Drugs that bind receptors but inefficiently, therefore incapable of
giving maximal response (thus acts as an antagonist)
Ariens theory – response = α y; α = intrinsic activity; therefore,
response is equal to the intrinsic activity of a drug multiplied by y
At half maximal occupancy, a partial agonist yields a smaller response
because it has a smaller intrinsic activity
Model for efficacy
Many full agonists could elicit maximal responses at very low
occupancies – concept of receptor reserve; response does not
relate directly to receptor occupancy (can be expressed in
terms of efficacy – describes the strength of a single drug
receptor complex in evoking a response)
, Competitive antagonism
Agonist potency, pD2
Expressed like the pH system
Agonist + agonist synergy
Convergent signalling – different receptors; effect is
more than adding effects of 1 and 2
Additive effect
Common receptor
Full agonist + partial agonist – partial antagonism
Partial agonist A2 cannot reach maximal effect
Competitive antagonism
A + R -> AR – response; B + R -> BR – no response
Competitive antagonists can be quantitively understood by the amount of extra agonist we need to in
the presence of the antagonist, to restore the response (normally 50% of the maximal response);
calculate the dose ratio
, How to plot the slope of a graph where the intercept = 0
Straight line indicates parallelism – increasing
concentrations of B causes parallel shifts to the
right of the dose response
In log terms –
<- graph where y=mx
In a graph where the y intercept is not 0 –> y = mx + b
Antagonist occupancy (z)
Agonist occupancy = y
When DR = 10 then z = 0.9
Therefore when 1/10 of receptors are free, require 10x more A
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller JessTheMess. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £7.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.