Pharmacology - Drug Classes & Mechanisms of Action Flashcards

Question 1

What is Pharmacokinetics (PK)?

Accepted Answer

The study of how the body affects a drug, encompassing its Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME). It describes the drug's journey through the body.

Question 2

Define Absorption (Pharmacokinetics).

Accepted Answer

The process by which a drug moves from its site of administration into the systemic circulation. Factors include route of administration, drug solubility, and blood flow.

Question 3

Define Distribution (Pharmacokinetics).

Accepted Answer

The reversible transfer of a drug from the bloodstream into the interstitial and intracellular fluids. Influenced by blood flow, tissue binding, and drug's physicochemical properties.

Question 4

Define Metabolism (Pharmacokinetics).

Accepted Answer

The biochemical modification of drugs by enzymes (primarily in the liver, e.g., cytochrome P450 enzymes) into more polar metabolites, facilitating their excretion. Can lead to activation or inactivation.

Question 5

Define Excretion (Pharmacokinetics).

Accepted Answer

The irreversible removal of a drug and its metabolites from the body, mainly via the kidneys (urine), but also through bile, feces, sweat, and breath.

Question 6

What is a drug's Half-life ($t_{1/2}$)?

Accepted Answer

The time required for the concentration of a drug in the plasma to decrease by 50%. It determines the dosing interval and the time to reach steady-state concentration.

Question 7

What is Bioavailability?

Accepted Answer

The fraction of an administered dose of unchanged drug that reaches the systemic circulation. It is 100% for intravenous (IV) administration and often less for oral drugs due to first-pass metabolism.

Question 8

What is Pharmacodynamics (PD)?

Accepted Answer

The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs on the body and their mechanisms of action. It describes what the drug does to the body.

Question 9

Define Agonist (Pharmacodynamics).

Accepted Answer

A drug that binds to a receptor and produces a maximal biological response, mimicking the effect of an endogenous ligand. Can be full or partial.

Question 10

Define Antagonist (Pharmacodynamics).

Accepted Answer

A drug that binds to a receptor but does not produce a biological response, instead blocking the action of an agonist or endogenous ligand. Can be competitive or non-competitive.

Question 11

What is a Dose-Response Curve?

Accepted Answer

A graphical representation illustrating the relationship between the dose of a drug and the magnitude of the response it produces. Used to determine potency, efficacy, and therapeutic index.

Question 12

NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs): Mechanism of Action & Indication

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2), which are responsible for prostaglandin synthesis. Prostaglandins mediate pain, inflammation, and fever.
**Indication:** Pain relief (analgesia), reduction of inflammation, fever reduction (antipyresis). Examples: Ibuprofen, Naproxen.

Question 13

Antibiotics (General): Mechanism of Action & Indication

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Diverse mechanisms targeting bacterial specific processes, such as cell wall synthesis, protein synthesis, nucleic acid synthesis, or metabolic pathways, leading to bacterial death or growth inhibition.
**Indication:** Treatment and prevention of bacterial infections.

Question 14

Beta-Lactam Antibiotics (e.g., Penicillins, Cephalosporins): Specific MOA

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to and inactivating penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), which are transpeptidases essential for peptidoglycan cross-linking. This leads to osmotic lysis of the bacterial cell.

Question 15

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics (e.g., Ciprofloxacin): Specific MOA

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Inhibit bacterial DNA gyrase (topoisomerase II) and topoisomerase IV, enzymes crucial for DNA replication, transcription, repair, and recombination. This prevents bacterial DNA synthesis and leads to cell death.

Question 16

Antihypertensives (General): Indication

Accepted Answer

**Indication:** Treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events like stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease.

Question 17

ACE Inhibitors (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors): Mechanism of Action

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Block the enzyme ACE, preventing the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is a potent vasoconstrictor and stimulates aldosterone release, so inhibition leads to vasodilation, reduced blood volume, and decreased blood pressure.

Question 18

Beta-Blockers (e.g., Metoprolol, Propranolol): Mechanism of Action

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Competitively block beta-adrenergic receptors (primarily $\beta_1$ in the heart), reducing heart rate, myocardial contractility, and cardiac output. Also reduce renin release from the kidneys. Used for hypertension, angina, arrhythmias.

Question 19

Antidepressants (General): Indication

Accepted Answer

**Indication:** Treatment of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and chronic pain conditions.

Question 20

SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors): Mechanism of Action

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Selectively block the reuptake of serotonin (5-HT) into presynaptic neurons by inhibiting the serotonin transporter (SERT). This increases the concentration of serotonin in the synaptic cleft, enhancing serotonergic neurotransmission.

Question 21

Opioid Analgesics (e.g., Morphine, Fentanyl): Mechanism of Action & Indication

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Bind to and activate opioid receptors (mu, kappa, delta) in the central nervous system and periphery. Activation of mu receptors primarily mediates analgesia, euphoria, and respiratory depression.
**Indication:** Management of moderate to severe acute and chronic pain.

Question 22

Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) (e.g., Omeprazole): Mechanism of Action & Indication

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Irreversibly inhibit the $	ext{H}^+/	ext{K}^+$-ATPase (proton pump) in gastric parietal cells, the final common pathway for acid secretion. This significantly reduces gastric acid production.
**Indication:** Treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcers, and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Question 23

Diuretics (e.g., Furosemide - Loop Diuretic): Mechanism of Action & Indication

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Increase the excretion of water and electrolytes (e.g., $	ext{Na}^+$, $	ext{Cl}^-$) from the body by acting on different parts of the renal tubules. Loop diuretics inhibit the $	ext{Na}^+/	ext{K}^+/2	ext{Cl}^-$ cotransporter in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle.
**Indication:** Treatment of edema (heart failure, renal disease), hypertension.

Question 24

Statins (HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors) (e.g., Atorvastatin): Mechanism of Action & Indication

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Competitively inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver. This reduces intracellular cholesterol, leading to an upregulation of LDL receptors and increased clearance of LDL from the blood.
**Indication:** Treatment of hypercholesterolemia to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Question 25

Oral Contraceptives (e.g., Estrogen/Progestin combinations): Mechanism of Action & Indication

Accepted Answer

**MOA:** Primarily suppress ovulation by inhibiting the release of GnRH from the hypothalamus, which in turn inhibits FSH and LH release from the pituitary. Also thicken cervical mucus and thin the endometrium to prevent sperm penetration and implantation.
**Indication:** Prevention of pregnancy, management of menstrual disorders (e.g., dysmenorrhea, endometriosis).

Pharmacology - Drug Classes & Mechanisms of Action

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