"Pharmacokinetics is a branch of pharmacology dedicated to determining the fate of substances administered to a living organism."
Principles of ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion) in drug discovery, basic concepts in pharmacodynamics, quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR), drug-receptor interactions.
Drug absorption: The process by which a drug moves from the site of administration to the bloodstream.
Drug distribution: The process by which a drug moves from the bloodstream to its target site.
Drug metabolism: The process by which a drug is broken down by enzymes in the body.
Drug elimination: The process by which a drug is removed from the body.
Bioavailability: The fraction of a drug that reaches the systemic circulation after administration.
Half-life: The time it takes for half of the drug to be eliminated from the body.
Clearance: The volume of blood that is cleared of drug per unit time.
Volume of distribution: The theoretical volume required to contain the drug in the body at the same concentration as in the plasma.
Therapeutic index: The ratio of the toxic dose to the effective dose of a drug.
Receptor binding: The interaction between a drug molecule and its target receptor.
Agonists: Drugs that activate the target receptor.
Antagonists: Drugs that bind to the target receptor but do not activate it.
Enzyme inhibitors: Drugs that inhibit the activity of enzymes in the body.
Enzyme inducers: Drugs that increase the activity of enzymes in the body.
Drug interactions: The effects of one drug on the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of another drug.
Drug toxicity: The adverse effects of a drug on the body, including side-effects and toxicity.
Absorption: Refers to the process by which a drug enters the bloodstream. This can occur through various routes, such as oral, intramuscular, or subcutaneous.
Distribution: Refers to the process by which a drug is transported throughout the body, often to tissues or organs where it is intended to have an effect.
Metabolism: Refers to the chemical breakdown of a drug by the body or by enzymes in the liver. This can alter the drug's effectiveness and can also generate metabolites that may have their own effects.
Excretion: Refers to the elimination of drugs from the body, usually through urine, feces, or breath. This process can affect the duration of the drug's effects and how often it needs to be administered.
Pharmacodynamics: This is the study of how drugs interact with the body and how they produce their effects. This includes how drugs interact with specific receptors or enzymes, and how those interactions produce changes in cellular function.
Receptor binding: Refers specifically to how drugs interact with specific receptors in the body to produce their effects. This can involve agonists (which activate receptors) or antagonists (which block or inhibit receptor activity).
Enzyme inhibition: Refers to how drugs can interact with specific enzymes in the body to inhibit their activity. This can prevent the formation of certain biochemicals in the body or alter their function.
Dosage-response relationships: This is the study of how the effectiveness of a drug changes as the dosage is increased. This can help determine the optimal dose for therapeutic use.
Pharmacogenetics: Refers to how an individual's genetic makeup can affect how they respond to drugs. This can involve differences in enzyme activity, receptor expression, or other factors that can alter drug effectiveness.
Therapeutic index: This is a measure of how safe a drug is relative to its effectiveness. A high therapeutic index means that the drug is effective at low doses and has a low risk of side effects or toxicity. A low therapeutic index means that the drug is effective at higher doses but has a greater risk of side effects or toxicity.
"The substances of interest include any chemical xenobiotic such as: pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, food additives, cosmetics, etc."
"It attempts to analyze chemical metabolism and to discover the fate of a chemical from the moment that it is administered up to the point at which it is completely eliminated from the body."
"Pharmacokinetics is the study of how an organism affects a drug, whereas pharmacodynamics (PD) is the study of how the drug affects the organism."
"Both together influence dosing, benefit, and adverse effects, as seen in PK/PD models."