The different characteristics of the four agonists and how each mediates distinct biological activities

by | Mar 5, 2025 | biology

 

• Describe the different characteristics of the four agonists and how each mediates distinct biological activities. Include proposed mechanisms and the receptor it is targeting.
• Identify how the P450 enzyme system plays a role in the body’s absorption, distribution, and clearance of medication.
• Scavenge the literature after describing each agonist on the spectrum for research that is based on the medications in the table below.
• Apply the medications to the appropriate agonist on the agonist spectrum in your Concept Map

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Understanding the Agonist Spectrum

Agonists are substances that bind to a receptor and activate it, producing a biological response. The agonist spectrum describes the varying degrees of efficacy an agonist can have:

  1. Full Agonist: Produces the maximal possible response.
  2. Partial Agonist: Produces a submaximal response, even at full receptor occupancy.
  3. Inverse Agonist: Binds to the same receptor as an agonist but produces the opposite pharmacological effect.
  4. Antagonist: Binds to the receptor but does not activate it, preventing agonists from binding and eliciting a response. (While not an agonist, it’s vital in the spectrum).

Four Agonists and Their Characteristics

Let’s consider these four agonist types in detail:

  1. Full Agonist:
    • Characteristics: High efficacy, produces a maximal response when bound to its receptor.
    • Mechanism: Binds to the receptor, causing a conformational change that triggers a signaling cascade leading to the full biological effect.
    • Receptor Target: Examples include beta-adrenergic receptors (e.g., isoproterenol), opioid mu-receptors (e.g., morphine).

Understanding the Agonist Spectrum

Agonists are substances that bind to a receptor and activate it, producing a biological response. The agonist spectrum describes the varying degrees of efficacy an agonist can have:

  1. Full Agonist: Produces the maximal possible response.
  2. Partial Agonist: Produces a submaximal response, even at full receptor occupancy.
  3. Inverse Agonist: Binds to the same receptor as an agonist but produces the opposite pharmacological effect.
  4. Antagonist: Binds to the receptor but does not activate it, preventing agonists from binding and eliciting a response. (While not an agonist, it’s vital in the spectrum).

Four Agonists and Their Characteristics

Let’s consider these four agonist types in detail:

  1. Full Agonist:
    • Characteristics: High efficacy, produces a maximal response when bound to its receptor.
    • Mechanism: Binds to the receptor, causing a conformational change that triggers a signaling cascade leading to the full biological effect.
    • Receptor Target: Examples include beta-adrenergic receptors (e.g., isoproterenol), opioid mu-receptors (e.g., morphine).
    • Literature Search: Research focuses on maximal efficacy studies, dose-response relationships, and therapeutic applications where a maximal response is needed.
  2. Partial Agonist:
    • Characteristics: Submaximal efficacy, produces a weaker response than a full agonist even at full receptor occupancy.
    • Mechanism: Binds to the receptor and induces a conformational change, but the change is less effective in activating the signaling pathway.
    • Receptor Target: Examples include opioid receptors (e.g., buprenorphine), serotonin receptors (e.g., buspirone).
    • Literature Search: Research focuses on comparing efficacy to full agonists, exploring potential for reduced side effects, and use in scenarios where a controlled, submaximal response is desired.
  3. Inverse Agonist:
    • Characteristics: Produces the opposite effect of a full agonist by binding to the same receptor. This implies the receptor has a baseline or “constitutive” activity.
    • Mechanism: Binds to the receptor and stabilizes it in an inactive conformation, reducing or eliminating the constitutive activity.
    • Receptor Target: Examples include GABA receptors (e.g., certain benzodiazepine inverse agonists).
    • Literature Search: Research explores mechanisms of constitutive receptor activity, therapeutic applications in disorders with elevated baseline receptor activity, and potential for treating conditions where reducing specific receptor activity is beneficial.
  4. Antagonist:
    • Characteristics: Binds to the receptor but does not activate it, blocking the action of agonists.
    • Mechanism: Competes with agonists for receptor binding, preventing them from eliciting a response.
    • Receptor Target: Examples include beta-adrenergic receptors (e.g., propranolol), opioid receptors (e.g., naloxone).
    • Literature Search: Researches the ability to block the action of endogenous or exogenous agonists, use in overdose situations, and use in management of conditions where blocking a specific receptors action is needed.

P450 Enzyme System

The cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzyme system is a family of enzymes primarily located in the liver that plays a crucial role in:

  • Absorption: Some medications are metabolized by CYP450 enzymes in the gut wall, affecting their bioavailability.
  • Distribution: By metabolizing drugs, CYP450 enzymes can alter their concentration in the bloodstream, affecting their distribution to target tissues.
  • Clearance: The CYP450 system is the primary route of drug metabolism, converting lipophilic drugs into more hydrophilic metabolites that can be eliminated from the body via the kidneys.
    • Drug Interactions: Many drug interactions arise from one drug inhibiting or inducing a specific CYP450 enzyme, which can alter the metabolism and clearance of other drugs.

Applying Medications to the Agonist Spectrum (Concept Map)

To create a concept map, you’ll need the specific medications from your table. Here’s a general framework, and remember to replace the examples with your specific medications:

  • Full Agonists:
    • Example: Morphine (opioid mu-receptor)
    • Example: Isoproterenol (beta-adrenergic receptor)
    • (Add your specific medications here)
  • Partial Agonists:
    • Example: Buprenorphine (opioid mu-receptor)
    • Example: Buspirone (serotonin receptor)
    • (Add your specific medications here)
  • Inverse Agonists:
    • Example: Certain benzodiazepine inverse agonists (GABA receptor)
    • (Add your specific medications here)
  • Antagonists:
    • Example: Naloxone (opioid receptor)
    • Example: Propranolol (beta-adrenergic receptor)
    • (Add your specific medications here)

Concept Map Structure:

  1. Central Node: “Agonist Spectrum”
  2. Branches: Full Agonist, Partial Agonist, Inverse Agonist, Antagonist.
  3. Sub-branches: For each agonist type, include:
    • Characteristics
    • Mechanism
    • Receptor Target
    • Specific Medications (from your table)
  4. Separate Node: “Cytochrome P450 (CYP450)”
  5. Branches from CYP450:
    • Absorption
    • Distribution
    • Clearance
    • Drug Interactions

Literature Search Tips:

  • Use PubMed, Google Scholar, and other databases.
  • Search for the specific medication name and “mechanism of action,” “P450 metabolism,” or “receptor binding.”
  • Focus on recent peer-reviewed articles.

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