Autonomic nervous system drugs acting

Stimulants are classic examples of sympathomimetic drugs that is, they act to stimulate or mimic activity in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. Thus, many of their physiological effects arc the same as those seen during emotional arousal heart rate is up, blood pressure is up, respiratory rate is up, and sweating increases meanwhile, blood flow decreases to the internal organs and extremities but increases to the large muscle groups and the brain. Finally, body temperature is elevated and pupils arc dilated. 

This classic in the field of pharmacology provides detailed information on anatomy and functions of the autonomic nervous system. Although primarily concerned with drugs and how they act upon the body, there are also excellent sections on the toxicity of gases and vapors and heavy metals. Goodman and Gilman thoroughly evaluate many of the more widely used compounds utilized by the pharmaceutical industry. 

A few central nervous system stimulants exhibit predominant central stimulant action, e.g., strychnine, nikethamide, leptazol, picrotoxine, etc. others possess multiple side-effects,. e.g., ephedrine and atropine act on the autonomic nervous system and finally a number of drugs do exert temporary stimulation of CNS in toxic doses, e.g., local anaesthetics, santonin, salicylates. In usual praetiee, the eentral nervous system stimulants find their use in emergencies for prompt and short-term exeitation of CNS, because a prolonged stimulation may be followed by depression. 

The drugs which act on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and control the vital internal processes which ordinarily, are not under volition, are known as autonomic drugs. 

In 1936, Loewi received the Nobel Prize with Henry Dale. They discovered that acetylcholine has two types of action. The drug, atropine, produces the muscarinic effert of acetylcholine by binding to muscarinic acetyldioline receptors. Acetylcholine also has nicotinic actions, stimulating the autonomic nervous system and voluntary muscle fibers. Nicotine stimulates the noradrenergic system. It acts by opening ion chaimels across the membranes of post-synaptic neurons, which generates electrical action potentials. 

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