Basic Principles of Pharmacology Notes

Basic Principles of Pharmacology

• Instructor: Dr Graeme Sills
• ** Date**: September 23, 2024
• Institution: University of Glasgow, School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health

Organisation of Teaching

• Teaching is structured into 2- to 3-week blocks, focusing on specific pharmacology topics:
  • Each block starts with an introduction and ends with a recap/Q&A session.
  • Semester 1: PHAR3A
  • 0: Introductory week
  • 1-2: Principles of Pharmacology
  • 3-4: Autonomic Pharmacology
  • 5-6: CNS Pharmacology
  • 7-8: Cardiovascular & Respiratory Pharmacology
  • 9-10: Pharmacokinetics & Drug Disposition
  • 11: Revision & Class Test
  • Semester 2: PHAR3B
  • 0: NA
  • 1-2: Endocrine Pharmacology
  • 3-4: Immunopharmacology
  • 5-7: Molecular Pharmacology
  • 8-10: Selective Toxicity
  • 11: Revision & Creative Assignment

What is Pharmacology?

• Definition: The study of drug actions on living systems.
  • Drug: A bioactive chemical substance affecting cells, organs, or entire body functions.
  • Includes studies of pharmacokinetics (drug disposition) and pharmacodynamics (drug effects).

Development of Pharmacology

• Emerged as a scientific discipline in the mid-19th century, emphasizing experimentation over dogma.
• Significant historical milestones:
  • 1799: Discovery of nitrous oxide (Davy)
  • 1805: Isolation of morphine (Sertürner)
  • 1899: Introduction of aspirin (Bayer)
  • 1935: Development of sulphonamides (Domagk)

Sources of Drugs

• Natural Products: Extracted from plants and animals (e.g., aspirin from willow bark, morphine from poppies).
• Serendipity: Accidental discoveries (e.g., penicillin by Alexander Fleming).
• Re-purposing: Existing drugs used for new applications (e.g., sildenafil for erectile dysfunction).
• Computer-Aided Design: Rational drug design based on structure-activity relationships.

Drug Formulations

• Types of Drug Names:
  • Chemical Name: IUPAC name detailing structure.
  • Generic Name: International non-proprietary name (e.g., fluoxetine).
  • Proprietary Name: Manufacturer's trade name (e.g., Prozac).

Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics

• Pharmacokinetics: What the body does to the drug;
  • Processes: Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion (ADME).
• Pharmacodynamics: What the drug does to the body;
  • Effects on receptors, organs, and overall organisms.

Measuring Drug Effects

• Varies by level of biological organization:
  • Cellular Responses: Binding, enzyme activity.
  • Organ/Systems Responses: Physiological changes in the target organs.
  • Societal Impacts: Costs, addiction, misuse, resistance.

Pharmacological Variability

• Variability in drug response due to:
  • Genetic factors
  • Age and fitness
  • Disease states
  • Environmental influences.

Drug Action Mechanisms

• Drug Targets: Predominantly proteins; drugs interact chemically to produce effects.
  • Binding Forces: Ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, covalent bonds.
• Importance of drug structure in mimicking or blocking endogenous molecules.

Summary

• Pharmacology entails the investigation of bioactive compounds using principles from various disciplines (e.g., chemistry, biology).

• Core aspects include understanding drug mechanisms, interactions, and varied responses in different populations.

• Emphasis on using generic names in clinical practice to standardize information and reduce errors.

• Core Concepts:

  • Drug pharmacokinetics
  • Drug pharmacodynamics
  • Drug-target interactions and binding mechanisms.