B.Pharm. Bachelor of Pharmacy Pharmacology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which neurotransmitter is primarily depleted in Parkinson's disease, leading to motor deficits?
- Serotonin
- Acetylcholine
- Dopamine (Correct answer)
- GABA
Correct answer: Dopamine
Parkinson's disease is characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, depleting dopamine and impairing motor control.
Question 2: Opioid analgesics primarily exert their effects by binding to which receptor type?
- NMDA receptors
- Mu opioid receptors (Correct answer)
- Kappa opioid receptors only
- Delta opioid receptors only
Correct answer: Mu opioid receptors
Mu (μ) opioid receptors are the primary targets mediating analgesia, euphoria, and respiratory depression caused by opioid drugs.
Question 3: Which drug is used as an antidote for acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose?
- Naloxone
- Flumazenil
- N-acetylcysteine (Correct answer)
- Protamine sulfate
Correct answer: N-acetylcysteine
N-acetylcysteine replenishes hepatic glutathione stores, neutralizing the toxic metabolite NAPQI formed during acetaminophen overdose.
Question 4: Beta-lactam antibiotics kill bacteria by inhibiting which process?
- DNA replication
- Protein synthesis
- Cell wall synthesis (Correct answer)
- Cell membrane integrity
Correct answer: Cell wall synthesis
Beta-lactam antibiotics inhibit transpeptidase enzymes (penicillin-binding proteins), preventing cross-linking of peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls.
Question 5: Which type of drug interaction occurs when one drug increases the plasma concentration of another by inhibiting its metabolism?
- Pharmacodynamic synergism
- Enzyme induction
- Enzyme inhibition (Correct answer)
- Protein binding displacement
Correct answer: Enzyme inhibition
Enzyme inhibition reduces hepatic CYP450-mediated metabolism of a co-administered drug, raising its plasma levels and potentially causing toxicity.
Question 6: The loading dose of a drug is primarily determined by which pharmacokinetic parameter?
- Clearance
- Half-life
- Volume of distribution (Correct answer)
- Bioavailability
Correct answer: Volume of distribution
Loading dose is calculated as the desired plasma concentration multiplied by the volume of distribution (Vd), independent of clearance.
B.Pharm. Bachelor of Pharmacy Pharmacology 2
Which neurotransmitter is primarily depleted in Parkinson's disease, leading to motor deficits?