SECTION 1: GENERAL PRINCI-PLES 1.What is pharmacology? OVERVIEW WHAT IS A DRUG? ORIGINS AND ANTECEDENTS PHARMACOLOGY IN THE 20th AND 21 st CENTURIES 2.How drugs act: general principles OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION PROTEIN TARGETS FOR DRUG BINDING DESENSITISATION AND TOLERANCE QUANTITATIVE ASPECTS OF DRUG-RECEPTOR INTERACTIONS THE NATURE OF DRUG EFFECTS 3.How drugs act: molecular aspects OVERVIEW TARGETS FOR DRUG ACTION RECEPTOR PROTEINS ION CHANNELS AS DRUG TARGETS CONTROL OF RECEPTOR EXPRESSION RECEPTORS AND DISEASE 4.How drugs act: cellular aspects-excitation,contraction and secretion OVERVIEW REGULATION OF INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM EXCITATION MUSCLE CONTRACTION RELEASE OF CHEMICAL MEDIATORS EPITHELIAL ION TRANSPORT 5.Cellular mechanisms: Host defense OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION THE INNATE IMMUNE RESPONSE THE ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSE SYSTEMIC RESPONSES IN INFLAMMATION 6. Absorption and distribution of drugs OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION PHYSICAL PROCESSES UNDERLYING DRUG DISPOSITION DRUG ABSORPTION AND ROUTES OF ADMINISTRATION DISTRIBUTION OF DRUGS IN THE BODY SPECIAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS 7.Drug metabolism and elimination OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION DRUG METABOLISM EXCRETION OF THE DRUG AND ITS METABOLITES 8.Pharmacokinetics OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION: DEFINITION AND USES OF PHARMACOKINETICS DRUG ELIMINATION EXPRESSED AS CLEARANCE SINGLE-COMPARTMENT MODEL MORE COMPLICATED KINETIC MODELS POPULATION PHARMACOKINETICS LIMITATIONS OF PHARMACOKINETICS SECTION 2:CHEMICAL MEDI-ATORS SECTION 3:DRUGS AFFECTING MAJOR ORGAN SYSTEMS SECTION 4:NERVOUS SYSTEM SECTION 5:DRUGS USED FOR THE TREATMENT OF INFEC-TIONS AND CANCER Index