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Related Concept Videos

Antiasthma Drugs: Mast Cell Stabilizers and Anti-IgE Drugs01:25

Antiasthma Drugs: Mast Cell Stabilizers and Anti-IgE Drugs

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition for which new therapeutic avenues, including anti-inflammatory drugs like mast cell stabilizers and anti-IgE treatments, continue to be developed.
Mast cell stabilizers, such as cromolyn (also known as sodium cromoglycate) and nedocromil (Tilade), are effective drugs in asthma management. These stabilizers hinder histamine release by skillfully obstructing the activation of mast cells and other cellular entities. Notably, they navigate this task without...
Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacokinetics01:24

Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacokinetics

Cholinergic antagonists—such as antimuscarinics—are available in oral, topical, ocular, parenteral, and inhalational formulations. Most antimuscarinics are oral formulations,  while scopolamine is available as a topical patch, and ipratropium and tiotropium are available as inhalation aerosols or powders. Atropine, tropicamide, and cyclopentolate are topically instilled in the eye. Most antimuscarinics are lipid-soluble and readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and the conjunctiva.
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacokinetics01:22

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacokinetics

Indirect-acting cholinergic agonists, or anticholinesterases, enhance the body's cholinergic activity by inhibiting acetylcholine's breakdown. They are categorized as reversible or irreversible agents based on their mechanism of action. They are further classified into short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting agents based on their duration of action.
Reversible agents containing quaternary amines, such as neostigmine and edrophonium, are not easily absorbed orally because they are...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions00:59

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions

Direct-acting cholinergic agonists exert their pharmacological actions by mimicking the effects of acetylcholine on postsynaptic muscarinic receptors to generate parasympathetic responses. These agents elicit a range of physiological responses, including cardiovascular effects. For example, activation of muscarinic receptors induces bradycardia, decreased cardiac output, reduced peripheral resistance, and consequent hypotension. In the eye, stimulation of M3 receptors leads to smooth muscle...
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions01:30

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions

Indirect-acting cholinergic agonists, also known as anticholinesterases, exert their pharmacological effects by enhancing cholinergic transmission in various body parts, including the neuromuscular junction, autonomic cholinergic synapses, and the brain.
At the neuromuscular junction, these agents work by inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, allowing it to remain bound to the receptor and bind to nearby receptors. This process leads to repetitive firing of the endplate, causing muscle...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses01:11

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses

Direct-acting cholinergic agonists have many therapeutic uses in various medical fields. Choline esters, including acetylcholine, have limited clinical utility due to their non-selectivity and short duration of action. Still, acetylcholine and carbachol are applied topically during ophthalmologic surgery to induce miosis. Pilocarpine, a muscarinic and ganglionic stimulator, effectively treats open-angle glaucoma and alleviates xerostomia and dry mouth caused by radiotherapy or Sjögren syndrome.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Analyzing the Functions of Mast Cells In Vivo Using 'Mast Cell Knock-in' Mice
09:07

Analyzing the Functions of Mast Cells In Vivo Using 'Mast Cell Knock-in' Mice

Published on: May 27, 2015

Multiple action agents and the eye: do they really stabilize mast cells?

Alessandro Lambiase1, Alessandra Micera, Stefano Bonini

  • 1CIR Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University Campus Bio-Medico, Italy.

Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|August 5, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Multiple action drugs for allergic conjunctivitis stabilize mast cells and reduce inflammation. These medications offer improved management by targeting various stages of allergic reactions.

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Isolation of Peritoneum-derived Mast Cells and Their Functional Characterization with Ca2+-imaging and Degranulation Assays
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Analyzing the Functions of Mast Cells In Vivo Using 'Mast Cell Knock-in' Mice
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Isolation of Peritoneum-derived Mast Cells and Their Functional Characterization with Ca2+-imaging and Degranulation Assays
11:31

Isolation of Peritoneum-derived Mast Cells and Their Functional Characterization with Ca2+-imaging and Degranulation Assays

Published on: July 4, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Allergology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Multiple action drugs combine antihistaminic, mast cell stabilization, and anti-inflammatory effects.
  • This drug class is increasingly preferred for allergic conjunctivitis management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mast cell-stabilizing effects of multiple action drugs.
  • To evaluate their role in treating allergic conjunctivitis.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro studies investigating mast cell mediator inhibition.
  • In vivo experimental studies, including conjunctival provocation models.
  • Clinical trials assessing drug efficacy.

Main Results:

  • Multiple action drugs inhibit histamine and other mediators (cytokines, arachidonic acid products) from mast cells.
  • Evidence from clinical and in vivo studies supports their mast cell stabilizing effect.
  • Mechanisms of action require further elucidation.

Conclusions:

  • Different inhibitory effects on mast cell mediators suggest targeting various allergic reaction phases.
  • These drugs hold potential for improved allergic conjunctivitis patient management.