Final answer :
The suffix -pril indicates that the drug is a benzodiazepine.
Explanation:
The suffix -pril is a common pharmaceutical ending that is used to denote benzodiazepine drugs. Benzodiazepines are a class of medications that are commonly prescribed to treat various medical conditions, including anxiety disorders, insomnia, and seizures. The term "benzodiazepine" is derived from the chemical structure of these drugs, which includes a benzene ring (benzo-) and a diazepine ring (-diaze-).
The benzene ring provides the drug with its sedative and hypnotic effects, while the diazepine ring contributes to its anxiolytic and anticonvulsant properties. Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the activity of a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is responsible for inhibiting nerve impulses in the brain. This results in a decrease in anxiety, muscle tension, and seizure activity.
Drugs with the -pril suffix are particularly potent benzodiazepines due to their chemical structure. The -pril ending is derived from the name of the first benzodiazepine drug to be approved for medical use, pridinium. This suffix is now commonly used to indicate that a drug belongs to the benzodiazepine class and has similar pharmacological properties to other drugs in this category.