Spare receptors enhance drug response, allowing maximum effect even when not all receptors are occupied.
Definition of Spare Receptors:
- Spare receptors are receptors that are not required to be occupied by a drug to produce the maximum response.
Significance:
- A full response can be achieved even when only a small fraction of total receptors are occupied.
- This is due to signal amplification in certain receptor systems (especially those involving G-proteins and enzymes).
Implication:
- Presence of spare receptors increases sensitivity to agonists.
- It explains why low concentrations of a drug can sometimes still produce a full effect.
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