Second Public Examination

Honour School of Natural Science

SPECIMEN PAPER 2004

CHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY

(Supplementary Subject)

3 hours

Candidates should answer FOUR questions.

 

  1. How do local anaesthetics prevent the conduction of action potentials in nerves?

  2. Give a brief account of the mode of action of three different types of anti-cancer agents. Why is it particularly important in the treatment of cancer to have available a range of drugs acting by different mechanisms?

  3. Explain why such a wide range of volatile organic compounds act as general anaesthetics. Would it be sensible to attempt to develop a general anaesthetic antagonist?

  4. Describe the chemical transformations that drug substances undergo after absorption. What is the clinical significance of genetically controlled variations in the structure of drug transforming enzymes?

  5. "It is now clear that antagonism at dopamine receptors is the main determinant of antipsychotic drug action". Is that true? Is that sufficient?

  6. Describe the electrical events at the neuromuscular junction. How are these affected by drugs and toxins?

  7. Give an account of the role of second messenger pathways in the flight-or-fight response to adrenaline.

  8. What physiochemical factors govern the interaction of a drug with its receptor?

  9. What is the evidence for subtypes of beta-adrenergic receptors? Why is this of relevance in the treatment of asthma and hypertension?

  10. Describe the different modes of antagonism giving clinically relevant examples, where possible.