Physiology of the Thyroid Gland
Introduction The thyroid gland plays a pivotal role in human physiology, modulating metabolism, growth, and development through the production and secretion of thyroid hormones. These hormones, primarily triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), influence virtually every tissue…
Dose-response relationships
The dose-response relationship is a fundamental concept in pharmacology that describes how the effects of a drug change with varying doses. This relationship is crucial for understanding drug potency, efficacy,…
Drug-Receptor Interactions: Agonists and Antagonists
Drug-receptor interactions refer to the binding of drugs to specific receptors, leading to a biological response. These interactions can either be agonistic or antagonistic. Agonists Agonists are drugs that bind…
Drug Potency and Efficacy
Understanding "drug potency" and "drug efficacy" is crucial in pharmacology, as they describe a drug's performance and are often used to compare different drugs. These terms are closely related to…
Drug Selectivity, Safety, and Risk-Benefit Ratio
The pharmacological landscape is complex, and drugs often produce a range of effects, both therapeutic and adverse. Understanding these nuances is crucial for clinicians to make informed decisions. This article…
Drug Specificity: A Key Factor in Pharmacological Actions
Drug specificity is an important concept in pharmacology that refers to the range of actions a drug can produce. Understanding drug specificity is crucial for healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients…
Miscellaneous Antiarrhythmic Agents: Adenosine and others
Adenosine Adenosine is antiarrhythmic agent that is widely used for the investigation and management of both narrow complex and, less often, broad complex tachycardias. It produces a transient block in the…
Class 4 Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Verapamil and Diltiazem
Verapamil and diltiazem are non‑dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers classified as Class IV antiarrhythmics, primarily used to slow atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction and control ventricular rate in supraventricular tachyarrhythmias such as atrial…
Antiarrhythmic drugs: Class III – Amiodarone and others
Class III antiarrhythmics predominantly prolong cardiac repolarization via potassium channel blockade, with amiodarone as the prototypical agent and additional options including dofetilide, sotalol, ibutilide, and dronedarone chosen based on structural heart disease,…
Antiarrhythmic drugs: Beta-adrenoceptor-blocking drugs (Class 2)
Introduction Among the diverse categories of drugs used to manage cardiac arrhythmias, beta-adrenoceptor-blocking drugs (beta blockers)—classified as Class 2 antiarrhythmics under the Vaughan Williams scheme—play a pivotal role in controlling aberrant…
