Stochastic dose response

The dose-response relationship in a pharmacologic system is analyzed using basic concepts of drug-receptor interaction and the theory of stochastic processes. Response is viewed as resulting from additive recruitment of tissue receptor-effector units. A Fokker-Planck (continuity) equation is written relating response to drug dosage in time. The solution to this equation is recalled from a previous paper. An expression relating response at equilibrium to drug dose follows, and easy methods for evaluation of experimental parameters are developed. Another mode of solution of the Fokker-Planck equation using Laplace transforms is presented, and simple equations are derived permitting straightforward evaluation of experimental parameters in transient states. These equations are adapted to "relaxation" type experiments.