Answer

Foundational Neuroscience

Agonist-to-antagonist Spectrum

According to Feinberg (2018), an agonist is described as a drug that stimulates significant brain receptors; therefore, producing the full influence of the prescription to occur. A partial agonist is a prescription that operates as an agonist, but the receptor activation level decreases. If a drug is categorized as an antagonist, it hinders the receptors’ binding to the agonist. In the domains of opioids, an agonist is Heroin, the antagonist is Naloxone, and the partial agonist is Buprenorphine. To elaborate on this pattern, Heroin is an addictive agonist drug. In a Heroin overdose, Naloxone, an antagonist, can convert binding and block receptors from binding with free-floating Heroin (Peng & Zhong, 2015). Pharmacological therapy for Heroin addiction frequently incorporates Buprenorphine, the partial agonist. Buprenorphine permits partial binding to opioid receptors; consequently, decreasing alienation symptoms and bending drug yearnings.

. Compare and Contrast: Actions of G-coupled Proteins and Ion Gated Channels

The G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and Ion Gated Channels (IGCs) are described as two categories of postsynaptic receptors. IGCs, also identified as ligand-gated ion channels, have two specialities. One speciality is operating to bind neurotransmitters while the other speciality produces the ion channel. G-protein-coupled receptors operate through second carrier orderliness, which is more delayed and dependent on various metabolic measures. GPCRs are also distinguished as metabotropic receptors. When a neurotransmitter binds to the metabotropic receptors, the G-protein is stimulated (Thompson, Eldstrom & Fedida, 2020). The G-proteins then departs from the receptor and instantly combine with ion channels or partners with effector proteins to manage the ion channels through intracellular carriers. 

Epigenetics in Pharmacologic Action

Epigenetics is described in various manners, but the basis is that gene function can be changed without altering the RNA and DNA code. This operational transformation in the gene can also be inherited. Consequently, epigenetics can ascertain how a prescription operates and what symptoms a person can develop (Peng & Zhong, 2015). If a prescription operates on a significant gene, but that gene has a changed role, the medication’s effectiveness might alter. For instance, people with changed dopamine structure and receptor binding might incline drug dependence or a natural endurance level. For non-addictive materials, this knowledge can explain why some prescriptions function for one individual but not another.

Best Practice

It is important to accumulate a comprehensive family and medical history before designating medications. In the infirmary I work with, we consider the patient’s familial prescription history when designating medicine and genetic testing to distinguish where various psychotropics medications have disappointed to manage their symptoms. As indicated above, some genes that influence prescription effectiveness may be inherited. In distinguishing what medications have been successful for adjacent relatives in the patient’s family, the patient might find success using a similar prescription due to epigenetics (Mazzone et al., 2019). Genetic-testing is conducted to evaluate if the patient has healthy Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene capacity and can alter Folate to L-Methyl-Folate (LMF). According to Mazzone et al. (2019), LMF is needed to create serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. If this is weakened with a prescription, this signifies the patient’s body is not suitably generating a satisfactory LMF cofactor to formulate the needed neurotransmitter for a stationary mood, resulting in drug-resistant distress. Medicine prescription is not an easy task. Existing science offers prescribing providers more comprehensive knowledge about what is occurring based on the patient’s well-being. Although some are cynical of genetic testing for psychotropic prescription, I have seen the success of using this knowledge as an approach to guided prescribing.  Epigenetics in pharmacology helps identify a drug’s effect, depending on the patient, thus preventing medication errors.