Spare Receptors

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).

Spare Receptors

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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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