Agonist

An agonist is a substance or molecule that activates specific receptors in the body, resulting in a physiological response.
Agonists can be naturally occurring compounds or synthetic drugs designed to mimic the effects of endogenous substances. Understanding agonists is important in the field of pharmacology as they play a significant role in the development of therapeutic agents.

Agonists

Agonists v2

Mechanism of Action[edit | edit source]

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Agonists exert their effects by binding to specific receptors on cells, initiating a cascade of events that leads to a physiological response.
When an agonist binds to a receptor, it triggers a conformational change in the receptor, activating its signaling pathway.
This activation can result in various cellular responses, such as changes in gene expression, enzyme activity, ion channel opening, or neurotransmitter release.
The overall effect depends on the specific receptor and signaling pathways involved.

Agonists can be classified based on their interaction with receptors and their efficacy in producing a response.

The following classifications are commonly used:

Full agonists are substances that bind to a receptor and fully activate it, producing a maximal response.
They have high affinity for the receptor and induce a robust physiological effect.
Examples of full agonists include morphine (opioid receptor agonist) and adrenaline (adrenergic receptor agonist).

Partial agonists are substances that bind to a receptor but only activate it partially, resulting in a submaximal response.
They have moderate affinity for the receptor and exhibit a lower efficacy compared to full agonists.
Partial agonists can act as agonists in the absence of other agonists or as antagonists in the presence of full agonists.
An example of a partial agonist is buprenorphine (opioid receptor agonist/partial agonist).

Inverse agonists are substances that bind to a receptor and produce the opposite effect of an agonist.
Instead of activating the receptor, inverse agonists stabilize the receptor in its inactive state, reducing basal receptor activity.
Inverse agonists have negative efficacy and can be useful in cases where excessive receptor activity is present.
An example of an inverse agonist is rimonabant (cannabinoid receptor inverse agonist).

Agonists have numerous applications in medical treatments. Some examples include:

Opioid receptor agonists, such as morphine and oxycodone, are used for pain relief in moderate to severe pain conditions.
These agonists bind to opioid receptors in the central nervous system, inhibiting pain signals and producing analgesia.

Beta-adrenergic receptor agonists, such as albuterol and salmeterol, are used as bronchodilators in the treatment of respiratory conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
These agonists bind to beta-adrenergic receptors in the airway smooth muscles, leading to relaxation and bronchodilation.

In hormone replacement therapy, agonists are used to mimic the effects of endogenous hormones.
For example, estrogen agonists are prescribed for menopausal women to alleviate symptoms and prevent complications associated with estrogen deficiency.

Agonists can be used to modulate neurotransmitter activity in the brain.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like fluoxetine and sertraline act as agonists by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin, increasing its availability and treating conditions such as depression and anxiety.

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