MECHANISM OF ACTION FOR PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS 1

Mechanism of Action for Psychiatric Drugs

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Pharmacology refers to the scientific study of pharmacological medicine to treat patients

with specific diseases and evaluate the mode of action of the psychiatric drugs prescribed. The

psychiatric drugs prescribed are thereby administered under various types, including agonist,

antagonist, partial, and inverse antagonist, which differ from each other considering biochemical

receptors encountered during the mechanism of action. Notably, the difference among the

psychiatric drugs is elicited by efficacy and potency, affinity and reversibility under various

modes of action of psychiatric drugs. The receptors excite various ligands and impact the basal

activity level to alter the efficacy of agonists or antagonists (Fasipe, 2018). Considerably, the

agonists prompt a lower percentage of receptors induced while producing the highest efficacy,

while partial agonist contains a lower efficacy than agonists. The inverse agonist binds as an

agonist, a binding site, while it produces an opposite response from the agonist. The psychiatric

drugs are oxycodone, morphine, naltrexone, naloxone, Zoloft, Xanax, and Lexapro, which are

variously used to treat diseases and infections (Sanders et al., 2010). Mechanism of action

encompasses the particular biochemical process of medications by producing and impacting

pharmacological effects on the drug binds, for instance, receptors or enzymes. Markedly, the

mechanism of action depends on the various modes of action, namely G-proteins, contraction,

enzyme, receptor, and secretion. This paper encompasses the mechanisms of action for

psychiatric drugs.

Additionally, several differences are displayed between agonists, antagonists, partial and

inverse agonists due to the variety of receptors, ions, or G-proteins comprised in the body.

Notably, agonist refers to the drug manufacturing the same response to the targeted receptor or

chemical while binding to the receptor, while antagonists entail a drug binding to the receptor

either primary or secondary site, which hampers the production of response from the receptor.

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 MECHANISM OF ACTION FOR PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS 3

Explicitly, the agonist feigns the planned feedback, whereas the antagonist slows down the

response while binding to the receptor (Sanders et al., 2010). The agonist emulates the same

feedback from the receptors they bind to and impressionists the activities of neurotransmitters,

for instance, Acetylcholine, while the antagonist binds the receptors and hinders the production

of the desired response. Accordingly, a partial agonist cannot attain the highest response of the

system's capability since its efficacy is lower than that of a full agonist, while inverse agonist

refers to a ligand which, after binding to the receptor, produce the opposite effect to that which

agonist would produce after binding to the same receptor. Noticeably, for the partial agonists, the

drug accommodates all the receptors. Like the full agonists, it interacts with them identically but

eventually fails to inexplicably activate the secondary messenger system or ligand binding site,

which mainly results to be an antagonist (Fasipe, 2018). Variously, through preferential binding

to the receptors in their dormant states, the inverse agonist reduces the available fraction of

active receptors, henceforth resulting in reverse effect to the regularly expected outcome of the

receptor activation due to the basal level activity of the receptors.

Besides, the psychiatric drug from agonists portrays different mechanisms of action

depending on the receptors induced in the process. Notably, Glucocorticoids (GC) agonist drugs

mostly used immunosuppressive in the treatment of inflammatory besides rheumatic diseases.

The therapeutic effects are mediated through the mechanism of action of classical genomic

instigated via cytosolic Glucocorticoid Receptor (GCR). The classical genomic mechanism of

action is divided into transactivation associated with immunosuppressive activities and frequent

stirring side effects, and transrepression accountable for huge quantity for immunomodulating

and anti-inflammatory desirable effects (Sanders et al., 2010). The GC elicits variation of

extensively stimulated anti-inflammatory subtype of human monocyte. The GC resistance to the

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 MECHANISM OF ACTION FOR PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS 4

efforts and new variations has led to the advancement of nitro-steroids and liposomal GC

Selective Glucocorticoids receptor agonists (SEGRAs). Secondly, the mechanism of action in

antagonistic psychiatric drugs is encompassed in the treatment of Schizophrenia. Notably,

modulation and dopamine receptor blockade remain dominant throughout the treatment models

(Sanders et al., 2010). The permanent D2 receptor upsurges the jeopardies of detrimental effects,

for instance, extrapyramidal signs caused by conventional antipsychotics, while the ideal

habitation of dopamine D2 receptors is significantly induced in regulation adverse effects and

efficacy, for instance, clozapine and quetiapine. Aripiprazole elicits incomplete D2 receptors

providing the functioning of D2 receptors while prospecting sustenance of optimal blockade.

Balancing postsynaptic D2 and presynaptic receptor antagonism, for instance, brought by a

similar amisulpride mechanism protects against the excessive blockade of D2 receptors, thus

increasing the release of endogenic dopamine in the striatum. Serotonergic inflection henceforth

is mostly associated with a helpful surge of striatal dopamine release (Fasipe, 2018). The

negative cognitive symptoms and schizophrenia effects relate to dopamine releases in the

prefrontal cortex, which is moderated by compounding serotonin 5-HT2A receptor antagonism

and D2, for instance, risperidone and partial D2 receptor antagonism. Markedly, atypical

antipsychotics compared to conventional antipsychotics impetus synaptic remodeling and

neuronal plasticity in the striatum and other cognitive parts, for instance, the hippocampus

(Fasipe, 2018). The mechanism may regularize glutamatergic dysfunction and structural

abnormalities, thus affecting the central pathophysiological substrate constituted by

Schizophrenia.

Accordingly, the mechanism of action for partial agonist psychiatric drugs involves

tobacco treatment. The skyrocketing abuse and failure of tobacco treatment have resulted from

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 MECHANISM OF ACTION FOR PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS 5

the misunderstanding of pharmacological features of nicotine. The nicotinic acetylcholine

receptors are vital in desensitizing the detrimental effects incurred. Notably, Sazetidine-A (saz-Z)

is a partial agonist encompassing grander selectivity for α4β2 due to its desensitizing power.

Thus saz-Z being a partial agonist and desensitizing power, decreases the levels of nicotine self-

administration, thus holding a new therapy to aid smokers while quitting tobacco and nicotine.

Consequently, the mechanism of action for inverse agonist drugs encompasses Down Syndrome

(DS) in brain functioning. The DA is mostly caused by an imbalance between excitatory

neurotransmission and inhibitory (Sanders et al., 2010). Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

constitutes the pivotal neurotransmitter mostly in the central nervous system. The GABA-A

antagonists are an effective cure for cognitive misfunctions of Ts65Dn, a variant for DS. The

α5IA restores memory and learning functions, enhances learning elicitation, especially the

cognitive parts, and does not induce histologic modifications, thus very capable cognitive growth

in the treatment of DS.

The foundational understanding of the mechanism of action for medications holds a vital

role in the pharmacology field and other disciplines as well. Substantially, medical concerns

associated with certain fields of pharmacology are easily identified and permitted for immediate

resolutions. Notably, a concurrent study of the interaction between receptor and specific site of

the drug thus allowing the room for research and manufacturing of new drugs to encounter

variants. The patients are more likely to respond to the treatment of susceptible diseases like

Tumor and Breast Cancer (Fasipe, 2018). Substantially, combining adequate and better drugs

while manufactured considering the resistance ability emerged to encounter mutation of bacteria

and other disease-causing infections.

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The mechanism of action for psychiatric drugs is essentially applicable and usable in

pharmacology, considering its significance for medications. Notably, psychiatric drugs vary from

one type due to varying receptors, namely agonists, antagonists, partial agonists, and inverse

agonists. Consequently, these drugs vary according to their efficacy, potency, basal activity level,

and binding with the receptors. The mechanism of action of these drugs taking place between the

body parts against various diseases and infections helps greatly through medical records to

advance and improve pharmacological productivity of quality and effective drugs.

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References

Fasipe, O. J. (2018). Neuropharmacological classification of antidepressant agents based on their

mechanisms of action. Archives of Medicine and Health Sciences, 6(1), 81.

https://www.amhsjournal.org/article.asp?issn=2321-

4848;year=2018;volume=6;issue=1;spage=81;epage=94;aulast=Fasipe

Sanders, J., Miguel, R. N., Furmaniak, J., & Smith, B. R. (2010). TSH receptor monoclonal antibodies with

agonist, antagonist, and inverse agonist activities. Methods in enzymology, 485, 393-420.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123812964000221

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 MECHANISM OF ACTION FOR PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS 8

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