Physico-Chemical Aspects of Drug Action

Physico-Chemical Aspects of Drug Action, Volume 7 covers topics on drug kinetics and the overall physicochemical properties of the drug in relation therewith, and the physicochemical aspects of the drug-receptor interaction, putting emphasis on receptor mechanisms and specific properties required for certain types of drugs in this respect. The book starts with some contributions dealing with various general aspects of drug kinetics followed by some contributions dealing with the relationship between certain physicochemical properties of drug molecules and their action. The text describes the pharmacokinetics and dose-concentration relationships; the time course of the biological response to drugs; and the empirical equations for correlating biological efficiency of organic compounds. The text also describes molecular basis for the action of chemotherapeutic drugs; the structure-activity studies on sulphonamides; and the water extrusion hypothesis. The mathematical treatment of two-point attachment between drug and receptor; the molecular properties and biological activity of catecholamines and certain related compounds; and the structure-activity relationships of diarylcarbinolethers are also considered. The book further tackles quantum mechanically-derived electronic distributions in the conformers of 2-pam; and the molecular basis for the action of certain drugs in the central nervous system. Pharmacologists and chemists will find the book invaluable.