Which compound has the shortest half-life among Acetylcholine, Carbachol, and Methacholine?

Unlock all questions

This demo includes only 20 questions. Upgrade to access hundreds of questions, flashcards, exam simulations, and disable ads.

Full question bankExam simulationsFlashcards
From $9.99Unlock all

Prepare for the Drug Action 2 Exam. Focus on multiple-choice questions, learn through interactive quizzes, and understand core drug mechanisms with explanations. Dive deep into pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to ace your test!

Multiple Choice

Which compound has the shortest half-life among Acetylcholine, Carbachol, and Methacholine?

Explanation:
The key idea is how quickly each agent is broken down by acetylcholinesterase. Acetylcholine is rapidly hydrolyzed by this enzyme in synapses, giving it an extremely short half-life. The other cholinergic agonists—carbachol and methacholine—are designed to resist acetylcholinesterase, so they persist longer and have longer durations of action. Bethanechol is also resistant to AChE, with an even longer action in some tissues. Therefore, among these options, acetylcholine has the shortest half-life because it is degraded almost immediately by acetylcholinesterase.

The key idea is how quickly each agent is broken down by acetylcholinesterase. Acetylcholine is rapidly hydrolyzed by this enzyme in synapses, giving it an extremely short half-life. The other cholinergic agonists—carbachol and methacholine—are designed to resist acetylcholinesterase, so they persist longer and have longer durations of action. Bethanechol is also resistant to AChE, with an even longer action in some tissues. Therefore, among these options, acetylcholine has the shortest half-life because it is degraded almost immediately by acetylcholinesterase.

More Multiple Choice Questions
Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy