(University of Bath)

Available in Windows and Web/Intranet Versions ISBN: 1 84211 030 6

* Winner of the European Academic Software Award (EASA) for the Best Academic Software in the discipline area of Medical Science. 29th November 1994. *

Programmed by : Mandy Gilbert, Keith Brown
Subject Specialists : Peter Redfern, Steve Moss

The subject covers basic receptor theory, including occupancy and how response size is related to occupancy. The user is introduced to dose-response curves through simulated experiments of the action of drugs on isolated guinea pig ileum. Dose-response curves found using a range of drugs and combinations of drugs are then compared in order to discuss:

  1. full and partial agonists

  2. types of antagonism

  3. the use of agonists/antagonists to show the presence of different receptors

[Screenshot]
A Screen from the package
Contents

  1. Experimental Set-Up
  2. Agonists - Theory
  3. Agonists - Constructing Dose-Response Curves
  4. Agonists - Comparing Dose-Response Curves
  5. Agonists on the Guinea Pig Ileum
  6. Antagonists - Theory
  7. Antagonists - Constructing Dose-Response Curves
  8. Antagonists - Comparing Dose-Response Curves
  9. Agonist/Antagonists on the Guinea Pig Ileum
  10. Receptors

The aims of the package are as follows: The user should be able to design an experiment to find out the pharmacological properties of an unknown drug on the guinea pig ileum ie to find out whether the drug is an agonist (full/partial) or an antagonist, and its possible sites of action (including receptors). Thus the user is required to demonstrate an understanding of experimental techniques, receptor theory and knowledge of the structure and pharmacology of the guinea pig ileum. The user will learn the structure and innervation of the guinea pig ileum; equations for occupancy and response; how to construct dose-response curves (experimental procedure and plotting of results); how to interpret dose-response curves and say whether a drug is an agonist (full/partial) or antagonist (if so, what type); what pA2 is and how to find it; how to use agonist/antagonist combinations to find out about receptors and sites of action.


Hardware and Software Requirements

Windows Version
 The package is supplied on a CD-ROM Installation Disc and can be installed to a local hard disc or network drive. The minimum requirement is a PC with 100MHz Pentium processor , 8Mb of RAM and a VGA monitor capable of displaying 16-bit color (65, 536 colors) at 640 x 480 resolution. The program is 32-bit and is compatible with Windows 95, 98 and NT.
Web Version
The package is supplied on a CD-ROM Installation Disc for installation to a web server. The software runs on PC clients only. The minimum requirement is a 200MHz Pentium processor with 32Mb of RAM and a Super VGA monitor capable of displaying 16-bit color (65,536 colors) at 800 x 600 resolution. The program is compatible with both Netscape Navigator 4.x and Internet Explorer 4 or better and requires Java and Javascript to be enabled on browsers.