(2) A drug that acts through receptors on the surface of the cell or within the cell and provokes a biological response. As the body contains natural agonists that combine with cell receptors, any ‘occupation’ of these cell receptors by drug molecules will have a pharmacological e?ect on the individual. The intensity of that pharmacological e?ect is believed to be directly proportional to the number of receptors on the cell that combine with the drug molecule. For example, the natural agonist noradrenaline contracts the smooth muscle of blood vessels; the drug agonist phenylnephrine has a similar e?ect.
Antagonists are drugs which will combine with the receptor site to prevent another agent from producing its greatest e?ect. If the drug has no e?cacy of its own, but simply prevents the agonist from acting at the receptor site, it is called a full antagonist. A partial antagonist is a drug that provokes some activity at the receptor site. An example of an antagonist is prazosin, which acts against the natural agonist noradrenaline at the receptor site of the cells of blood-vessel muscle and prevents the vascular muscle from contracting.... agonist
The disease mainly affects tissues in the lungs, resulting in emphysema, and the liver, causing cirrhosis.
The effects of alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency may not become apparent until after the age of 30.
There is no cure, but symptoms can be relieved by drug treatment.
In severe cases, a liver transplant may be a possibility.... alpha-antitrypsin deficiency
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) can be measured in the maternal blood from the latter part of the 1st trimester of pregnancy, and its concentration rises between the 15th and 20th weeks.
Raised levels of are associated with fetal neural tube defects, such as spina bifida or anencephaly, and certain kidney abnormalities. High levels of also occur in multiple pregnancies (see pregnancy, multiple) and threatened or actual miscarriage. levels may be unusually low if the fetus has Down’s syndrome. For this reason, measurement of blood is included in blood tests, which are used to screen pregnant women for an increased risk of Down’s syndrome.
levels are commonly raised in adults with hepatoma (see liver cancer), cancerous teratoma of the testes or ovaries, or cancer of the pancreas, stomach, or lung.
For this reason, is known as a tumour marker.
(AFP) levels can be used to monitor the results of treatment of certain cancers; increasing levels after surgery or chemotherapy may indicate tumour recurrence.
However, levels are also raised in some noncancerous conditions, including viral and alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.... alpha-fetoprotein
They work on the same receptors in the brain as 5 hydroxytryptamine (5HT), a neurotransmitter and vasodilator.
Common serotonin agonists include naratriptan and sumatriptan.
These drugs can cause chest pain, particularly in people with heart disease.
They should be used with caution in those at increased risk of coronary artery disease.
Other side effects include flushing, tingling, and nausea.... serotonin agonists