Principles of Pharmacology: A Tropical Approach

by D. T. Okpako

• ISBN13: 9780521340953
• ISBN10: 0521340950
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1991-02-22
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This volume provides a useful and informative introduction to basic pharmacological principles and practice - in the context of tropical medicine and diseases. The author discusses the cultural and environmental factors that affect the use of drugs in the tropics. The book highlights the potential inconsistencies and incompatibilities arising from the use of traditional and orthodox medicine, which can account for the extensive misuse of modern drugs among populations where the two systems are practised. Whilst emphasis is primarily given to the treatment of a wide range of tropical diseases, such as malaria, bilharzia and sickle-cell disease, the underlying principles are also fully explained to provide a conceptual framework for the academic exploration of cultural, genetic, environmental and nutritional factors affecting drug use in the tropics. The author also gives a concise treatment of systematic pharmacology. This makes the volume a useful text for students and practitioners of medicine and pharmacologists and specialists in tropical medicine, and for graduates studying chemotherapy of parasitic diseases. It will also be an important source of reference for medical and pharmacy students.

Table of Contents

Preface

Part I. General Background to Drug Usage in the Tropics: 1. Traditional medicine

2. The problems of availability and quality of modern drugs in the tropics

Part II. Fundamental Pharmacodynamic Principles: 3. Measurement of drug response

4. Receptors and drug response

Part III. Fundamental Principles in Drug Disposition: 5. Drug administration and factors affecting drug metabolism

6. Pharmacokinetic principles

Part IV. Factors Affecting Drug Metabolism: 7. The influence of malnutrition and food-derived intoxicants

8. Genetic factors affecting drug action

Part V. Selective Toxicity: 9. Antimicrobial drugs

10. Antiprotozoal drugs

11. Anthelmintics

12. Anticancer and antiviral drugs

13. Drug resistance

14. Strategies for the development of new drugs

Part VI. Systematic Pharmacology: 15. Drug targets in the nervous system

16. Noradrenergic mechanisms

17. Cholinergic mechanisms

18. Anaesthesia

19. Pain and inflammation

20. Drugs acting on the central nervous system

21. Cardiovascular and renal systems

22. Haemopoietic system

23. Endocrine system

24. Local hormones (autocoids)

Index.