| radiation-protective agents | Drugs used to protect against ionizing radiation. They are usually of interest for use in radiation therapy but have been considered for other, e.g. Military, purposes. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| radiation-sensitizing agents | Drugs used to potentiate the effectiveness of radiation therapy in destroying unwanted cells. (12 Dec 1998) |
| vasoconstrictor agents | Drugs used to cause constriction of the blood vessels. (12 Dec 1998) |
| vasodilator agents | Drugs used to cause dilation of the blood vessels. (12 Dec 1998) |
| gastrointestinal agents | Drugs used for their effects on the gastrointestinal system, as to control gastric acidity, regulate gastrointestinal motility and water flow, and improve digestion. (12 Dec 1998) |
| reducing agents | Materials that add an electron to an element or compound, that is, decrease the positiveness of its valence. (12 Dec 1998) |
| renal agents | Drugs used for their effects on the kidneys' regulation of body fluid composition and volume. The most commonly used are the diuretics. Also included are drugs used for their antidiuretic and uricosuric actions, for their effects on the kidneys' clearance of other drugs, and for diagnosis of renal function. (12 Dec 1998) |
| reproductive control agents | Substances used either in the prevention or facilitation of pregnancy. (12 Dec 1998) |
| central nervous system agents | A class of drugs producing both physiological and psychological effects through a variety of mechanisms. They can be divided into "specific" agents, e.g., affecting an identifiable molecular mechanism unique to target cells bearing receptors for that agent, and "non-specific" agents, those producing effects on different target cells and acting by diverse molecular mechanisms. Those with non-specific mechanisms are generally further classed according to whether they produce behavioural depression or stimulation. Those with specific mechanisms are classed by locus of action or specific therapeutic use. (12 Dec 1998) |
| glycine agents | Substances used for their pharmacological actions on glycinergic systems. Glycinergic agents include agonists, antagonists, degradation or uptake inhibitors, depleters, precursors, and modulators of receptor function. (12 Dec 1998) |
| respiratory system agents | Drugs used for their effects on the respiratory system. (12 Dec 1998) |
| menstruation-inducing agents | Chemical compounds that induce menstruation either through direct action on the reproductive organs or through indirect action by relieving another condition of which amenorrhoea is a secondary result. (12 Dec 1998) |
| chelating agents | Organic chemicals that form two or more coordination bonds with a central metal ion. Heterocyclic rings are formed with the central metal atom as part of the ring. Some biological systems form metal chelates, e.g., the iron-binding porphyrin group of haemoglobin and the magnesium-binding chlorophyll of plants. They are used chemically to remove ions from solutions, medicinally against microorganisms, to treat metal poisoning, and in chemotherapy protocols. (12 Dec 1998) |
| chemical warfare agents | Chemicals that are used to cause the disturbance, disease, or death of humans during war. (12 Dec 1998) |
| peripheral nervous system agents | Drugs that act principally at one or more sites within the peripheral neuroeffector systems, the autonomic system, and motor nerve-skeletal system. (12 Dec 1998) |