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Tutorial 3 Student Version

The worksheet covers drug treatments for asthma, angina, and depression, focusing on the mechanisms and effects of various drug types. It includes questions about asthma attack phases, the action of anti-asthma drugs, the adenyl cyclase/cAMP signaling pathway, and the differences in responses between beta-1 and beta-2 receptors. Additionally, it discusses the monoamine hypothesis of depression and critiques against it, along with the use of beta-blockers in angina patients with asthma.

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1 views1 page

Tutorial 3 Student Version

The worksheet covers drug treatments for asthma, angina, and depression, focusing on the mechanisms and effects of various drug types. It includes questions about asthma attack phases, the action of anti-asthma drugs, the adenyl cyclase/cAMP signaling pathway, and the differences in responses between beta-1 and beta-2 receptors. Additionally, it discusses the monoamine hypothesis of depression and critiques against it, along with the use of beta-blockers in angina patients with asthma.

Uploaded by

speedyneedyfirespidey
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

TUTORIAL 3 WORKSHEET

Drug treatment of disease; asthma, angina and depression

Please try to answer the questions on the worksheet and come along to the tutorial where we will
go through the questions together.

1. Describe the changes that occur in the airways during the three main “phases” of an asthma
attack triggered by exposure to an allergen.

2. For each of the anti-asthma drug types listed below, explain which phase(s) of an attack they are
effective against and describe how they produce their effects.

i. Beta-2 adrenoceptor agonists eg salbutamol


ii. Xanthines, eg theophylline
iii. Glucocorticoids eg beclomethasone
iv. 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors eg zileuton
v. Leukotriene receptor antagonists eg montelukast

3. Draw a simple diagram of the adenyl cyclase/cAMP signalling pathway, starting with a
neurotransmitter acting on its receptor and ending with activation of the enzyme protein kinase
A (PKA). Use the diagram to explain how xanthine drugs, such as theophylline, act to increase the
concentration of cAMP inside airway smooth muscle cells.

4. Agonists at beta-1 receptors in the heart and beta-2 receptors in airway smooth muscle both
activate the adenyl cyclase/cAMP pathway, yet beta-1 receptor activation increases the force of
cardiac muscle contraction whereas beta-2 receptor activation inhibits smooth muscle
contraction. Can you explain why there is a difference in the type of response produced in the
two muscle types?

5. Describe what has happened in the heart of an individual suffering from the pain of angina and
explain why “beta-blockers” such as propranolol are able to treat angina. Why should beta-
blockers be used with caution in patients who also have asthma?

6. What is “the monoamine hypothesis of depression”? Based on the monoamine hypothesis,


explain why monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
(SSRIs) are proposed to produce benefit in depression.

7. Not everyone agrees with the monoamine theory of depression. What are the main arguments
AGAINST the theory?

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