D. PHARMACY 2ND YEAR PHARMACOLOGY IMPORTANT SHORT QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS

 

PHARMACOLOGY IMPORTANT SHORT QUESTIONS (2 MARKS)

PREPARED BY MR. ABHIJIT DAS

 

1.  BIOAVAILABILITY [MIMP]

Ø It is the fraction of unchanged portion of drug that reaches the blood circulation after administration by any route.

Ø When we take drug through oral route drug will be metabolized in liver so the bioavailability won’t be 100%.

Ø But after an IV route of administration the bioavailability is always 100%.

Ø Bioavailability = (AUC Oral/AUC IV) X 100

 

2.  TACHYPHYLAXIS [MIMP]

Ø Tachyphylaxis is the rapid decrease in response to a drug after its repetitive administration.

Ø It can occur after an initial dose or after a series of small doses.

Ø Drugs like ephedrine, amphetamine, 5-hydroxy tryptamine, tyramine etc. are known to cause tachyphylaxis.

3.  SYNERGISM [MIMP]

Ø It is the result of two or more drugs interacting together to produce an effect that is greater than the cumulative effect that those drugs produce when used individually.

       2+2=10

Ø Example: Codeine and aspirin as analgesic.

4.  ANTAGONIST

Ø It’s a ligand/drug which has affinity for the receptor but has no intrinsic activity.

Ø It prevents the action of an agonist on a receptor.

Ø Example: Naloxone (opioids antagonists)

5.  RECEPTOR [MIMP]

Ø It is defined as a binding site located on the surface or inside the effector cell that serves to recognize the drug and initiate the response to it.

Ø The largest number of drugs bind to receptors to show their pharmacological actions.

Ø The receptors that have the most therapeutic relevance can be divided into four types.

1.    Ligand-gated ion channels

2.    G-protein-coupled receptors

3.    Enzyme-linked receptors

4.    Intracellular receptors

6.  PHARMACODYNAMICS

Ø Pharmacodynamics is the study of effects of drugs and the mechanism of their action.

Ø It is the science of how the body reacts to drugs.

7.  ANALEPTICS

Ø These are substances which stimulate the central nervous system (CNS).

Ø They are used to treat depression, ADHD(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)

Ø Ex: caffeine, amphetamine etc.

8.  TOLERENCE [MIMP]

Ø On repeated administration, some drugs may prove to be ineffective at the usual therapeutic dose.

Ø That’s why progressive increase in the dose is required to produce the desired effect. This phenomenon is known as drug tolerance.

Ø Example: When Morphine or Alcohol is used for a long time, larger and larger doses must be taken to produce the same effect.

9.  PURGATIVES AND ANTACIDS

Ø Purgatives are drugs that promotes defecation. They are also called laxatives or cathartics. Laxatives are milder evacuants while cathartics are more powerful evacuants.

Ø Ex: Bisacodyl, Senna etc.

Ø Antacid is a substance which neutralizes stomach acidity.

Ø Ex: Calcium carbonate, Magnesium hydroxide etc.

10.       TRIPLE RESPONSE

On intradermal injection, histamine produces a triple response.

Local redness (FLUSH)

Local arteriolar dilation (FLARE)

Local swelling (WHEAL)

11.       PARKINSONISM

Ø A disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement.

Ø Cause: Damage of certain neurons in brain causes dopamine levels to fall which leads to Parkinsonism.

Ø Drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease are Levodopa, Carbidopa etc.

12.       THERAPEUTIC INDEX [MIMP]

Ø It is a comparison of the amount of a therapeutic agent that causes therapeutic effect to the amount that causes toxicity.

Ø T.I= LD50/ED50

T.I= therapeutic index

LD50= amount of a drug which causes death of 50% of test animals

ED50= effective dose for 50% of population

13.       PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS [MIMP]

Ø These are antiulcer drugs.

Ø They inhibit the acid secretion in stomach by inhibiting               H⁺ k⁺ATPase pump (Proton Pump).

Ø  Ex: Omeprazole, Rabeprazole etc.

14.       CONTRACEPTIVES

Ø Contraceptives are devices or drugs that prevent a woman from becoming pregnant.

Ø It works by preventing sperm from getting to eggs.

Ø Various methods of contraception: Caps, Combined pills (oral contraceptive pills), Condoms, Intrauterine device (IUD), Natural family planning.

15.       PHARMACOKINETICS [MIMP]

Pharmacokinetic means movement of drugs inside our body, during which it passes through four different phases:

Absorption

Distribution

Metabolism/biotransformation

Excretion

16.       SUPERINFECTION [MIMP]

Ø This is the infection which occurs due to inhibition of intestinal microflora (GUT microbiota) by use of an antibiotic.

Ø When the GUT microbiota is reduced, it provides an opportunity for pathogenic microbes (disease causing microbes) to grow and potentially cause a new infection.

17.       DRUG DEPENDENCE [MIMP]

Ø A condition in which a person will take the drug on a continuous or periodic basis in order to experience it’s psychic effects.

Ø It is a psychological situation where an individual’s functionality is dependent on a psychoactive substance.

Ø Example of some drugs that cause dependence are Nicotine, Heroin, Alcohol, etc.

18.       ANTAGONISM [MIMP]

Ø The phenomenon of opposing the action of drugs.

Ø It prevents the action of an agonist on a receptor.

Ø Example: Naloxone (opioids antagonists)

19.       CHEMOTHERAPY [MIMP]

Ø Treatment of specific infections with chemical agents.

Ø Chemotherapeutic agents are synthetic compounds which suppress the growth or kill microorganisms. These drugs also inhibit the growth of malignant cells (cancer cells).

Ø Examples: Methotrexate, Actinomycin, etc.

20.       INVERSE AGONIST

Ø An agent (drug) which activates a receptor to produce an effect in the opposite direction to that of the agonist.

Ø Ex: Beta blockers, H₂ antihistaminics, etc.

21.       BIOTRANSFORMATION

Ø It’s otherwise called as drug metabolism.

Ø It is needed to convert lipid-soluble compounds to water soluble compounds so that they will be easily excreted. That’s why most hydrophilic (water-soluble) drugs are little biotransformed and are largely excreted unchanged.

Ø The primary site for drug excretion is liver. Other sites are kidney, intestine, lungs etc.

Ø Liver does it mainly through two metabolic reactions called phase 1 and phase 2.

22.       ANTHEHELMINTICS

Ø These are drugs which can kill or inhibit the growth of worms (helminthes).

Ø Ex- Albendazole, Mebendazole, etc.

23.       KERATITIS

Ø Inflammation of cornea (tissue on the front of the eye).

Ø It can be caused by infection, injury etc.

Ø Symptoms of keratitis: Redness of eyes, Eye pain, Blurred vision, etc.

24.       AUTACOIDS [MIMP]

Ø It comes from the Greek words autos (self) and akos (cure).

Ø They are local hormones which are released at the site at which they are synthesized.

Ø Ex: Histamine, Prostaglandin, etc.

25.       ANTIMETABOLITES

Ø These are anticancer drugs which block some metabolic reactions.

Ø These drugs generally inhibit purine or pyrimidine synthesis in the cancer cells.

Ø Ex: Purine antagonist- 6 thioguanine

26.       HYPNOTICS [MIMP]

Ø Hypnotics are a group of drugs that induce sleep and reduce wakefulness during sleep.

Ø They are used to treat insomnia (sleep disorder).

Ø Ex: Benzodiazepine, Barbiturates, etc.

27.       ANTIBIOTICS [MIMP]

Ø Antibiotics are medicines that help stop infections caused by bacteria.

Ø These are used to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.

Ø Ex: Penicillins, Tetracyclins, etc.

28.       ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Ø Atherosclerosis means deposition of cholesterol in the walls of arteries.

Ø It can cause arteries to become narrow, blocking blood flow.

Ø Causes: High cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, etc.

29.       DISINFECTANTS

Ø Disinfectants are agents which are used to eliminate microbes on the non-living surface

Ø Ex: Alcohol, Formaldehyde etc.

30.       AGONIST

Ø An agent (drug) which activates a receptor to produce an effect similar to that of the physiological signal molecule.

Ø Ex: Heroin (Opioid agonist)

31.       HAEMOLYSIS [MIMP]

Ø Haemolysis (or hemolysis) means break down of red blood cells (RBC) and release of their contents (cytoplasm) into surrounding fluid.

Ø Haemolysis occurs normally in a small percentage of red blood cells to remove aged cells from the bloodstream. It can also be induced by exercise.

32.       ANAEMIA

Ø Anaemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin (Hb) content within them is lower than normal.

Ø The most common cause of anaemia is iron deficiency.

Ø Symptoms of anaemia are weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath etc.

33.       RENNIN

Ø Rennin is a protein-digesting enzyme.

Ø It is found mostly in infants which helps in the digestion of milk proteins.

Ø  It can be used as a digestant.

34.       ENZYME INDUCTION

Ø Enzyme induction is a process in which a molecule induces the expression of an enzyme.

Ø Ex: barbiturates induce cytochrome p450 group of enzyme.

35.       DETOXIFICATION

Ø Detoxification means the removal of toxic substances from a living organism.

Ø This process is mainly carried out by liver.

36.       LAXATIVE

Ø Laxative is a medication which promotes defecation (solid waste removal).

Ø It is used in the treatment of constipation.

Ø Ex: Methylcellulose, Ispaghula etc.

37.       GLAUCOMA

Ø Glaucoma is a disease in which the nerve (optic nerve) connecting the eye to the brain is damaged.

Ø It can cause vision loss and blindness.

Ø It occurs due to high eye pressure.

38.       TERATOGENIC EFFECT [MIMP]

Ø It is the effect which has the ability to cause defects in a developing fetus after the pregnant woman is exposed to certain drugs (teratogens).

Ø The drug must be able to cross the placenta in early pregnancy to cause abnormal fetus development.

Ø Examples of drugs which can cross the placenta are ACE inhibitors, Lithium etc.

39.       IDIOSYNCRASY [MIMP]

Ø It is generally considered as abnormal reactivity to a drug and produces an uncharacteristic reaction.

Ø The type of reaction is restricted to individuals with a particular genotype.

Ø Example: Barbiturates cause excitement and mental confusion in some individuals.

40.       CARDIOTONIC

Ø These are drugs used to increase the cardiac output and improve the contraction of the heart muscle.

Ø They are used to treat heart failure.

Ø Ex: Digoxin, Lisinopril, etc.

41.       EXPECTORANTS

Ø Expectorant is a type of cough medicine which promotes the secretion of sputum (thick mucus) by the air passage.

Ø This medication is used to relieve coughs.

Ø Ex: Potassium iodide, Guaifenesin, etc.

42.       TOXICOLOGY

Ø Toxicology is the branch of science which deals with poisonous effects of drugs with detection, prevention and treatment of poisonings.

Ø It also deals with the study of adverse effect of drugs because the same substance can be a drug or a poison, depending on the dose.

43.       ANAPHYLAXIS [MIMP]

Ø Anaphylaxis is a severe, life threatening allergic reaction.

Ø It occurs in response of certain drugs, foods, insect strings etc.

Ø Anaphylaxis causes the immune system to release a flood of chemicals that can make the person to go into shock.

Ø If anaphylaxis is not treated right away, it can be fatal.

44.       FACILITATED DIFFUSION AND PINOCYTOSIS

Ø Facilitated diffusion is the process of transport done by the help of carrier protein. Being passive, facilitated diffusion doesn’t require chemical energy from ATP.

Ø Pinocytosis is the process in which cells engulf fluids or macromolecules from the surroundings.

45.       LOCAL ANAESTHETICS

Ø Local anaesthetics, being applied topically or injected locally, cause reversible loss of pain sensation in a localized area.

Ø Local anaesthetics are safer than general anaesthetics because consciousness is not lost with them and functions of heart, lungs, liver etc are not affected.

Ø Examples: Procaine, Lidocaine, etc.

46.       HISTAMINES AND ANTIHISTAMINES

Ø Histamines: These are organic nitrogenous compounds involved in local immune responses. They causes allergic reaction.

Ø Antihistamine: These are drugs which antagonise the actions of histamine and are used against allergic disorders.

47.       ANGINA PECTORIS

Ø Angina pectoris is a type of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart.

Ø Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease.

Ø Drugs used to treat angina pectoris: Nitroglycerin, Isosorbide dinitrate, etc.

48.       HYPOLIPIDAEMIC DRUGS

Ø Hypolipidaemic drugs are the lipid lowering drugs.

Ø These are used in the treatment of high levels of fat (lipids) in the blood.

Ø Ex: Statin, Fibrates etc.

49.       HAEMATINICS

Ø A hematinic is a substance required for the formation of blood cells.

Ø These are drugs which are used in treatment of anaemia.

Ø Ex: Vitamin B₁₂, Folic acid, etc.

50.       ANTIEPILEPTICS

Ø Antiepileptics are drugs which can be used in the treatment of epilepsy.

Ø They are also known as anticonvulsants.

Ø Ex: Phenytoin, Valproic acid etc.

51.       ANTIEMETICS

Ø Antiemetics are drugs that are used to prevent and treat vomiting and nausea.

Ø Ex: Ondasetron, Meclizine etc.

52.       MYDRIATICS

Ø Mydriatics are drugs which dilate the pupil.

Ø Ex: Atropine, Adrenaline etc.

53.       DRUG ABUSE

Ø The habitual taking of illegal drugs is known as drug abuse.

Ø It refers to the use of certain drugs for the purpose of creating pleasurable effects on the brain.

Ø Ex: Habitual taking of morphine or heroine etc.

54.       CARMINATIVE

Ø Carminative is a preparation intended to either prevent formation of gas in the GIT or facilitate expulsion of gas thereby combating flatulence.

Ø Ex: Coriander, Ginger, etc.

55.       CYCLOPLEGIA

Ø Cycloplegia means paralysis of the ciliary muscle of the eye.

Ø In this condition eye is fixed for distant vision.

Ø It is caused by anticholinergic drugs like atropine.

 

 

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