Theme XII. Pharmacology

Topical vocabulary

absorption – всасывание, поглощение

affect – действовать, воздействовать, поражать (о болезни)

to be affected by cold - простуженный

affinities – родственность, близость, сходство

amid – среди, между

amid cries of welcome – среди приветственных возгласов

capabilities – возможности (потенциальные)

concern – иметь отношение, интересоваться (чем-л.)

to be concerned – имеющий отношение, занятый

consider – рассматривать, принимать во внимание

deals with – иметь дело, принимать меры (к чему-л.)

digitalis – дигиталис, наперстянка

elimination – исключение, отбранный путем отсева

encompass – окружать, заключать (в себе)

excretion - выделение

extraordinary – незаурядный, чрезвычайный

flow – течение, поток

further – дальнейший, добавочный

further education – дальнейшее образование

handling – обращение, уход, управление

interaction - взаимодействие

occur – происходить, встречаться

peak – пик, высшая точка

potency – сила, эффективность, действенность

receptor - рецептор

reference – отношение, ссылка, эталон

relevant – уместный, относящийся

remarkable – выдающийся, замечательный

resurgence – возрождение, оживление

source – источник, начало

quinine - хинин

vague – неопределенный, неясный

Introductory text Pharmacology

Definition. Pharmacology (from Greek φάρμακον, pharmakon, "poison in classic Greek; drug in modern Greek"; and -λογία, "Study of" -logia) is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals. The field encompasses drug composition and properties, interactions, toxicology, therapy, and medical applications and antipathogenic capabilities.

Subject of study. Pharmacology deals with how drugs interact within biological systems to affect function. It is the study of drugs, of the reactions of the body and drug on each other, the sources of drugs, their nature, and their properties. In contrast, pharmacy is a biomedical science concerned with preparation, dispensing, dosage, and the safe and effective use of medicines.

History. Pharmacology as a scientific discipline did not further advance until the mid-19th century amid the great biomedical resurgence of that period. Before the second half of the nineteenth century, the remarkable potency and specificity of the actions of drugs such as morphine, quinine and digitalis were explained vaguely and with reference to extraordinary chemical powers and affinities to certain organs or tissues. The first pharmacology department was set up by Rudolf Buchheim in 1847, in recognition of the need to understand how therapeutic drugs and poisons produced their effects.

Early pharmacologists focused on natural substances, mainly plant extracts. Pharmacology developed in the 19th century as a biomedical science that applied the principles of scientific experimentation to therapeutic contexts.

Branches. The two main areas of pharmacology are pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.

Pharmacodynamics - finding out what drugs do to the body and how. It studies the effects of the drugs on biological systems. In broad terms, pharmacodynamics discusses the interactions of chemicals with biological receptors. This includes not just the cellular and molecular aspects, but also more relevant clinical measurements. For example, not just the biology of sabutamol, a beta2-adrenergic receptor agonist, but the peak flow rate of both healthy volunteers and real patients.

Pharmacokinetics – what happens to the drug while in the body. It studies the effects of biological systems on the drugs. Pharmacokinetics discusses the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of chemicals from the biological systems. This involves the body systems for handling the drug, usually divided into the following classification:

Exercise 1. Comprehension questions.

1. What is the pharmacology?

2. What does the pharmacology study?

3. What does the pharmacology deal with?

4. What do you know about the history of the pharmacology?

5. When was the first pharmacology department set up?

6. What did early pharmacologists focus on?

7. When did the pharmacology develop?

8. What are the main branches of the pharmacology?

9. What is the pharmacodynamics?

10. What is the pharmacokinetics?

11. What does the pharmacodynamics discuss?