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Pre-clinical Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology - An Overview

The aims of experimental pharmacology are discovery and development of the new drugs, study of the mechanism and site of action of different drugs and study the toxicity effect of a drug.  Experimental pharmacology  consists of preclinical study and clinical study . Figure 1: Types of experimental Pharmacology Preclinical pharmacology Preclinical studies involve  in-vivo  and  in-vitro  experiments using wide range of doses of the sample drug to obtain preliminary efficacy, toxicity and pharmacokinetic information. Such tests assist pharmaceutical companies to decide whether a drug candidate has scientific merit for further development as an investigational new drug (IND). In-vivo   (animal testing) study is used to measure: how much of a drug is absorbed into the blood, how it is broken down chemically in the body, the toxicity of the drug and its breakdown products or metabolites, and how quickly the drug and its metabolites are excreted from the body. Short-term test

Terminology of Pharmacology

Pharmacology: The term pharmacology comes from the two Greek words: pharmacon - a drug or medicine and logos - the truth about or a rational discussion. Pharmacology is a science of drug. It can also be defined as study the effects of drugs on the function of living systems. It deals with interaction of exogenously administered chemical molecules (drugs) with leaving system. Two important and interrelated areas of pharmacology are: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Pharmacokinetics: The term pharmacokinetics comes from a Greek word: kinesis- movement. Pharmacokinetics is what the body dose to the drug. This refers to movement of drug in and alteration of drugs by the body. This includes absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of the drug. e.g. - Digoxin is 70% absorbed orally, 25% bound to plasma proteins, localized in heart, skeletal muscle, liver and kidney; small fraction is metabolized in liver and excreted in urine. Pharmacodynamics: The term pharmacod

Experimental Pharmacology: Past and Present

Distinctions between the useful actions of drugs and their toxic effects were recognized thousands of years ago. As people tried plant, animal, and mineral materials for possible use as foods, they noted both the toxic and the therapeutic actions of some of these materials. Past civilizations contributed to our present knowledge of drugs and drug preparations. In India Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicine provide healthcare for a large part of the population. The word Ayurveda is composed of two parts: Ayu (= life) and Veda (= knowledge). Sage Bhardwaja got this science from Lord Indra and documented as Vedas, hence he is considered as  ‘father of Ayurveda’  by many authors. Scholars of Ayurveda had placed the origins of this science of life at sometime around 6000 BC. The principles were recorded in great detail in compendia, which are called Samhitas. Ancient Chinese writings and Egyptian medical papyri represent the earliest compilations of pharmacological knowledge. The