Quantitation in receptor pharmacology

The activity of drugs on receptors can be visualized in appropriate systems . However, for comparisons of activity to be made, these effects must be qu antified. The common currency for this quantitation is the dose-response cu rve. Thus, the shape, location (along the concentration axis), and maximal asymptote of dose-response curves are used to quantify drug activity and co mparisons to mathematical models of receptors are made to describe mechanis m of action. This review cites examples of where these quantitative procedu res yield information beyond what is readily apparent through observation o f the data and thus support the use of quantitative methods to maximize the information gained from experiments.