Receptor Glossary: Clinical Effects of Receptor Binding

What it covers

The Receptor Glossary explains the clinical effects of activating or inhibiting the receptors and transporters that psychiatric medications act on. Use it to translate a binding profile into expected effects: when a drug shows strong H1 or alpha-1 affinity, the entry for that receptor lists what blocking it tends to cause.

It has 16 entries, grouped by type:

Type	Entries
Transporters	SERT, NET, DAT
Serotonin receptors	5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C
Dopamine receptors	D1, D2, D3
Histamine receptor	H1
Adrenergic receptors	alpha-1, alpha-2
Muscarinic receptor	M1
Ionotropic receptor	GABA-A
Melatonin receptors	MT1/MT2
Orexin receptors	OX1R/OX2R

What each entry includes

Each receptor card opens to a short description, then one section for each relevant mechanism, such as antagonism, agonism, partial agonism, inverse agonism or positive allosteric modulation. Each mechanism lists example drugs that act that way, the benefits and therapeutic uses, and the side effects and risks. For example, the D2 entry separates antagonism from partial agonism, and the 5-HT2C entry separates antagonism or inverse agonism from agonism.

How to use it

Type in the search box to match receptor names, full names, descriptions, mechanisms, drug names, benefits or side effects. Matches are highlighted, and every matching card opens automatically, so searching "weight gain" shows every receptor whose entry lists it. Type filter buttons narrow the list to transporters, serotonin, dopamine or other receptor families.

Limitations

The glossary describes class-level receptor effects. A drug's actual clinical effect also depends on its affinity, dose, occupancy and the balance of its other actions. Use it alongside the Receptor Binding and Drug Database tools for drug-specific profiles.