Benzodiazepines mechanism of action

Benzodiazepines and GABA receptors: an animation on their mechanism of action Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) is an inhibiting neurotransmitter that is present on human brains. As shown in the animation, gamma amino butyric acid promotes opening of a postsynaptic receptor, the GABA-A receptor. This opening leads to a increased conductance to cloride ions, which […]

Thrombolytic agents: mechanism of action, indications, contraindications and side effects

Thrombolytic agents are used to lyse already formed blood clots in clinical settings where ischemia may be fatal ( acute mycardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, ischemic stroke, and arterial thrombosis). Very precise indications rule the use of these drugs, which are not free from serious side effects ( bleeding). Outline: Mechanism of action of thrombolytic therapy […]

Collection of PowerPoint lectures on ANS pharmacology

The following set of lectures has been created by Dr. Edwin Jackson and were published in the Division for Cardiovascular Pharmacology, a branch of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). Why study autonomic pharmacology? Outline of slides: Parasympathetic Ganglionic Synapse, Parasympathetic Organ Synapse, Sympathetic Ganglionic Synapse, Sympathetic Ganglionic Synapse, How do drugs […]

Animation: NRTIs mechanism of action

Nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are nucleoside analogues that act as competitive inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. As shown in the animation, these drugs compete with nucleoside triphosphates for access to reverse transcriptase. All NRTIs lack a 3-hydroxyl group; thus, their incorporation into a growing DNA chain results in its termination. They require intracytoplasmic […]

Antiplatelet agents: mechanisms of action and general overview

This post is an overview on antiplatelet drugs, we will focus on the classification of agents and  their mechanism of action. The most relevant facts related to therapeutics will also be discussed here,  followed by a video review by  K.G. Paul, M.D. A related article explores the pharmacology of thrombolytic agents. Classification of antiplatelet agents […]

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