Analytical pharmacology and the elucidation of function

Abstract

James Black believed that analysis of biological assays provides insights into the operation of physiological control systems. In this paper, we illustrate this point in three 'cardiovascular' assays. The first determined the half-life (t) of 'endothelium-derived relaxing factor' (EDRF), using bradykinin to release EDRF, which produced concentration-related relaxations of a precontracted artery. With the introduction of time delays between the source of EDRF and the assay artery, there were rightward shifts in dose-response curves, which provided the basis of calculating t. The second assay determined the roles of noradrenaline reuptake and prejunctional α2- adrenoceptor activity on transmit..