Pharmacology Mechanisms of Action

Mechanisms of Action

• Salbutamol: Beta 2 agonist increasing cAMP levels, resulting in smooth muscle relaxation, improving airflow.
• Ipratropium Bromide: Muscarinic antagonist blocking acetylcholine effects, preventing airway dilation.
• Prednisolone and Hydrocortisone: Corticosteroids suppressing inflammatory genes, activating anti-inflammatory genes.
• Adrenaline (1:1000): Stimulates alpha 1 receptors causing vasoconstriction, and beta 2 receptors for bronchodilation.
• Dexamethasone: Corticosteroid reducing subglottic inflammation.
• Adrenaline (1:10000): Increases systemic vascular resistance, blood pressure, and allows blood flow to brain and heart during cardiac arrest; increases heart rate, contractility, and electrical conduction; causes bronchodilation.
• Atropine: Anticholinergic/anti-muscarinic drug; preventing parasympathetic activity, increasing heart rate and contractility.
• Amiodarone: Anti-arrhythmic drug blocking potassium channels; increasing action potential duration, slowing heart rate.
• Aspirin: Platelet inhibitor; inactivates COX enzymes, decreasing thromboxane and prostaglandin production; preventing blood clotting.
• GTN: Converts to nitric oxide, causing vasodilation; reducing preload, increasing blood flow to cardiac tissue.

Additional Medications and Actions

• Furosemide: Potent loop diuretic; stops sodium, potassium, and chloride reabsorption, increasing urination.
• Diazepam and Midazolam: GABA enhancers; increasing GABA's inhibitory effect, reducing CNS excitability.
• Morphine: Acts on delta, kappa, and mu receptors; causing euphoria, sedation, and analgesia; opening potassium channels, causing hyperpolarisation.
• Ondansetron: Antiemetic binding to 5-HT receptors, both centrally and in the GI tract.
• Ibuprofen: Non-selective COX inhibitor; decreasing prostaglandin and thromboxane production; anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, and analgesic.
• Activated Charcoal: Absorbent binding toxins in the GI tract, preventing absorption into the bloodstream.
• Naloxone: Opioid antagonist; competitively binding to opioid receptors, preventing opioid effects.
• Nitrous Oxide: Selectively inhibits NMDA receptors, preventing or decreasing pain neurotransmitters.
• TXA: Competing with plasminogen; preventing fibrinogen binding, inhibiting clot breakdown.
• Misoprostol: Uterotonic; stimulating uterus contraction, controlling bleeding.
• Glucose: Increases blood sugar.
• Glucagon: Converts glycogen to glucose, increasing blood sugar.
• Chlorphenamine: Inverse agonist binding to H1 receptors; inhibits histamine reactions, reducing allergy symptoms.

Benzylpenicillin

• Narrow-spectrum antibiotic targeting specific bacterial cell wall proteins.

This quiz explores the mechanisms of action for various pharmacological agents, including beta agonists, muscarinic antagonists, corticosteroids, and anti-arrhythmic drugs. Test your understanding of how each medication functions and its role in treating respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.