Stimulus-response

A practical method of predicting the molecular behavior within the flow system involves the RTD. A common experiment to test nonuniformities is the stimulus response experiment. A typical stimulus is a step-change in the concentration of some tracer material. The step-response is an instantaneous jump of a concentration to some new value, which is then maintained for an indefinite period. The tracer should be detectable and must not change or decompose as it passes through the mixer. Studies have shown that the flow characteristics of static mixers approach those of an ideal plug flow system. Figures 8-41 and 8-42, respectively, indicate the exit residence time distributions of the Kenics static mixer in comparison with other flow systems. 

FIGURE 1.5 Schematic diagram of response production by an agonist. An initial stimulus is produced at the receptor as a result of agonist-receptor interaction. This stimulus is processed by the stimulus-response apparatus of the cell into observable cellular response. 

There are numerous second messenger systems such as those utilizing cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP, calcium and calmodulin, phosphoinosiddes, and diacylglerol with accompanying modulatory mechanisms. Each receptor is coupled to these in a variety of ways in different cell types. Therefore, it can be seen that it is impractical to attempt to quantitatively define each stimulus-response mechanism for each receptor system. Fortunately, this is not an... 

FIGURE 2.8 Stimulus response cascade for the production of blood glucose by activation of P-adrenoceptors. Redrawn from [4]. 

FIGURE 2.16 Effects of successive rectangular hyperbolae on receptor stimulus, (a) Stimulus to three agonists, (b) Three rectangular hyperbolic stimulus-response functions in series. Function 1 ((3 = 0.1) feeds function 2 ((3 = 0.03), which in turn feeds function 3 ((3 = 0.1). (c) Output from function 1. (d) Output from function 2 (functions 1 and 2 in series), (e) Final response output from function 3 (all three functions in series). Note how all three are full agonists when observed as final response. 

As noted in the previous discussion, different tissues have varying efficiencies of stimulus-response coupling. However, within a given tissue there may be the capability of choosing or altering the responsiveness of the system to agonists. This can be a useful technique in the study of... 

Some cellular stimulus-response pathways and second messengers are briefly described. The overall efficiency of receptor coupling to these processes is defined as the stimulus-response capability of the cell. 

While individual stimulus-response pathways are extremely complicated, they all can be mathematically described with hyperbolic functions. 

The ability to reduce stimulus-response mechanisms to single mono tonic functions allows relative cellular response to yield receptor-specific drug parameters. 

When the maximal stimulus-response capability of a given system is saturated by agonist stimulus, the agonist will be a full agonist (produce full system response). Not all full agonists are of equal efficacy they only all saturate the system. 

In some cases, the stimulus-response characteristics of a system can be manipulated to provide a means to compare maximal responses of agonists (efficacy). 

For a given agonist [A], the product of any one reaction in the stimulus response cascade is given by... 

Kenakin, T. P., and Beek, D. (1980). Is prenalterol (H 133/80) really a selective beta-1 adrenoceptor agonist Tissue selectivity resulting selective beta-1 adrenoceptor agonist Tissue selectivity resulting from difference in stimulus-response relationships. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 213 406—413. 

FIGURE 3.5 Major components of classical receptor theory. Stimulus is the product of intrinsic efficacy (s), receptor number [R], and fractional occupancy as given by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. A stimulus-response transduction function f translates this stimulus into tissue response. The curves defining receptor occupancy and response are translocated from each other by the stimulus-response function and intrinsic efficacy. 

FIGURE 3.6 Classical model of agonism. Ordinates response as a fraction of the system maximal response. Abscissae logarithms of molar concentrations of agonist, (a) Effect of changing efficacy as defined by Stephenson [24], Stimulus-response coupling defined by hyperbolic function Response = stimulus/(stimulus-F 0.1). (b) Dose-response curves for agonist of e = 1 and various values for Ka. 

The operational model, as presented, shows dose-response curves with slopes of unity. This pertains specifically only to stimulus-response cascades where there is no cooperativity and the relationship between stimulus ([AR] complex) and overall response is controlled by a hyperbolic function with slope = 1. In practice, it is known that there are experimental dose-response curves with slopes that are not equal to unity and there is no a priori reason for there not to be cooperativity in the stimulus-response process. To accommodate the fitting of real data (with slopes not equal to unity) and the occurrence of stimulus-response cooperativity, a form of the operational model equation can be used with a variable slope (see Section 3.13.4) ... 

FIGURE 3.10 Constitutive activity due to receptor overexpression visualization through binding and function, (a) Constitutive activity observed as receptor species ([RaG]/[RL0J) and cellular function ([RaG]/ ([RaG] + 3), where P = 0.03. Stimulus-response function ([RaG]/([RaG] + p)) shown in inset. The output of the [RaG] function becomes the input for the response function. Dotted line shows relative amounts of elevated receptor species and functional response at [R]/KG= 1. (b) Effects of an inverse agonist in a system with [R]/ Kq= 1 (see panel a) as observed through receptor binding and cellular function. 

This model also can accommodate dose-response curve having Hill coefficients different from unity. This can occur if the stimulus-response coupling mechanism has inherent cooperativity. A general procedure can be used to change any receptor model into a variable slope operational function. This is done by passing the receptor stimulus through a forcing function. 

The operational model allows simulation of cellular response from receptor activation. In some cases, there may be cooperative effects in the stimulus-response cascades translating activation of receptor to tissue response. This can cause the resulting concentration-response curve to have a Hill coefficient different from unity. In general, there is a standard method for doing this namely, reexpressing the receptor occupancy and/or activation expression (defined by the particular molecular model of receptor function) in terms of the operational model with Hill coefficient not equal to unity. The operational model utilizes the concentration of response-producing receptor as the substrate for a Michaelis-Menten type of reaction, given as... 

There are a number of assay formats available to test drugs in a functional mode. As discussed in Chapter 2, a main theme throughout the various stimulus-response cascades found in cells is the amplification of receptor stimulus occurring as a function of the distance, in biochemical steps and reactions, away from the initial receptor event. Specifically, the further down the stimulus-... 

The first idea to consider is the effect of receptor density on sensitivity of a functional system to agonists. Clearly, if quanta of stimulus are delivered to the stimulus-response mechanism of a cell per activated receptor the amount of the total stimulus will be directly proportional to the number of receptors activated. Figure 5.8 shows Gi-protein-mediated responses of melanophores transiently transfected with cDNA for human neuropeptide Y-l receptors. As can be seen from this figure, increasing receptor expression (transfection with increasing concentrations of receptor cDNA) causes an increased potency and maximal response to the neuropeptide Y agonist PYY. 

Previously, pharmacologists were constrained to the prewired sensitivity of isolated tissues for agonist study. As discussed in Chapter 2, different tissues possess different densities of receptor, different receptor co-proteins in the membranes, and different efficiencies of stimulus-response mechanisms. Judicious choice of tissue type could yield uniquely useful pharmacologic systems (i.e., sensitive screening tissues). However, before the availability of recombinant systems these choices were limited. With the ability to express different densities of human target proteins such as receptors has come a transformation in drug discovery. Recombinant cellular systems can now... 

By utilizing complete dose-response curves, the method devised by Barlow, Scott, and Stephenson [9] can be used to measure the affinity of a partial agonist. Using null procedures, the effects of stimulus-response mechanisms are neutralized and receptor-specific effects of agonists are isolated. This method, based on classical or operational receptor theory, depends on the concept of equiactive concentrations of drug. Under these circumstances, receptor stimuli can be equated since it is assumed that equal responses emanate from equal stimuli in any given system. An example of this procedure is given in Section 12.2.1. 

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