Posted by Racer on June 8, 2007, at 11:20:49
In reply to What Do These Mean: Inhibitor, Antagonist, Agonist, posted by BabyBunny on June 8, 2007, at 7:47:03
> Also what about CYP-2D6 and CYP-3A4?
These are enzymes that break down drugs. I believe they're produced in the liver, but my brain is so fried this morning I can't promise I know my own name, let alone liver enzymes...
Anyway, these enzymes affect the way substances behave in your body. Since these are kinda like the janitors of the system, their actions will have a lot of impact on whether a drug sticks around to build up a high enough level to work, versus getting cleaned up before it could do anything much at all.
>
> My new medication, Invega (Palperidone) says the following and I'd just like to know a bit more about what I'm reading and taking:
>
> Properties:
> *Benzisoxazole
> DA2 antagonist
> 5-HT2A antagonist
> NE alpha-1 antagonist
> NE alpha-2 antagonist
> H1 antagonist
>
> Half-Life & Metabolism:
> 23 Hours
> CYP-2D6
> CYP-3A4
>
> I believe that DA2 is a kind of Dopamine, 5-HT2A is some type of Serotonin, NE Alpha 1 & 2 are some kinds of Norepinephrine and H1 is a type of Histamine.
>OK, much of that is mostly right. DA2 actually refers to a type of dopamine *receptor,* since there's really only one kind of dopamine. Same with the others, but the basic idea is right. DA is dopamine, NE is norepinephrine, and 5HT is serotonin (or 5-hydroxytriptamine, which I've probably misspelled...)
Antagonist -- actually, this is just what it sounds like. It "antagonizes" a receptor, so that it isn't available. It's easiest for me to think about it using a ligand gated ion channel as an example -- and don't think too much about this: think of the receptor as being like a drawstring bag; the antagonist would be pulling the bag closed, so nothing can get in. The Agonist, on the other hand, would be forcing that bag to stay open, so that more stuff can get in. Does that make sense?
What that means in psychiatric terms is that an antagonist is going to reduce the activity of a certain chemical messenger on a certain receptor, and an agonist is going to increase it.
Inhibitor, of course, means just that: something which inhibits. In the case of a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, for example, the drug inhibits the action of the chemical that mops up serotonin after it's been used to deliver a message. That leaves the serotonin hanging around, pretty much trying to deliver that message again. It's nto inhibiting the serotonin, it's inhibiting the serotonin reuptake molecule.
I'm not sure any of that makes sense. I am having vision problems again, and it's hard for me to tell if I make sense when I can't see to read what I've written... I hope it does, and I hope it helps.
poster:Racer
thread:761810
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070604/msgs/761830.html