When the nurse administers a drug that stimulates the nicotinic receptors, what manifestation would indicate that the drug is working?

A) Inhibit cyclooxygenase that is necessary for prostaglandin synthesis:
NSAIDs primarily work by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), which plays a crucial role in the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are chemicals that promote inflammation, pain, and fever in response to injury or infection. By blocking COX, NSAIDs reduce the production of prostaglandins, thereby decreasing inflammation and alleviating pain and fever.

B) Exert direct actions to cause relaxation of smooth muscle:
NSAIDs do not directly cause the relaxation of smooth muscle. While some other classes of drugs (e.g., bronchodilators) target smooth muscle relaxation, NSAIDs primarily work by reducing the production of prostaglandins, which in turn alleviates inflammation and pain. They do not have a significant effect on smooth muscle tone itself.

C) Suppress prostaglandin activity by blocking tissue receptor sites:
NSAIDs do not block the receptor sites for prostaglandins; rather, they inhibit the cyclooxygenase enzyme, which is responsible for the synthesis of prostaglandins. This reduces the overall production of prostaglandins, rather than blocking their activity at the receptor level.

D) Interfere with neuronal pathways associated with prostaglandin action:
While NSAIDs reduce prostaglandin production, they do not directly interfere with neuronal pathways associated with prostaglandin action. They act primarily by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase enzyme to reduce the synthesis of prostaglandins at the site of injury or inflammation, rather than by modulating specific neural pathways.

A) The blood cells will migrate to the bone marrow:
While the bone marrow is responsible for producing red blood cells, dehydration and hypertonicity of the blood would not cause the red blood cells to migrate to the bone marrow. Migration of blood cells typically refers to white blood cells moving toward sites of infection or inflammation, not a response to dehydration.

B) The red cells will precipitate out of circulation:
Red blood cells do not precipitate out of circulation due to dehydration or hypertonic conditions. Instead, dehydration causes a shift in water balance that leads to changes in the shape and function of the red blood cells. Precipitation of cells is not a physiological response in this context.

C) They will swell and eventually rupture:
In conditions of hypertonicity, where the concentration of solutes (such as sodium) in the blood is higher than normal, red blood cells actually shrink, not swell. When blood is hypertonic, water moves out of the red blood cells into the extracellular space to balance the osmotic pressure, leading to cell shrinkage. Cells only swell in hypotonic conditions, when water moves into the cell.

D) The cells will shrink and shrivel, decreasing their oxygen-carrying ability:
When the body becomes dehydrated, the blood becomes hypertonic (more concentrated), leading to a shift of water out of the red blood cells to try to balance the osmotic gradient. As a result, the red blood cells shrink and shrivel. This shrinkage can impair their ability to carry oxygen effectively, as the cells may become more rigid and less flexible, making it difficult for them to navigate through small blood vessels and perform gas exchange in the lungs and tissues.