6. Excitable Cells: Neural Communication (HT) Flashcards
Describe how the divisions of the spinal cord that are sympathetic and paraympathetic.
Remember: PSP
What are catecholamines?
- Hormones made by your adrenal glands, which are located on top of your kidneys.
- Examples: dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline
What are the main catecholamines?
- Dopamine
- Noradrenaline
- Adrenaline
Describe how catecholamines are synthesised.
Tyrosine -> L-Dopa -> Dopamine -> Noradrenaline -> Adrenaline
- Tyrosine is converted to L-Dopa by tyrosine hydroxylase
- L-Dopa is converted to dopamine by DOPA decarboxylase
- Dopamine is converted to noradrenaline by dopamine beta-hydroxylase
- Noradrenaline is converted to adrenaline by phenylethanolamine N-methyl transferase
Describe where each stage of the synthesis of catecholamines occurs in the cell.
- Low concentrations of catecholamines are free in the cytosol
- Conversion of tyrosine to L-DOPA and L-DOPA to DA occurs in the cytosol
- DA then is taken up into the storage vesicles
- In NE-containing neurons, the final β hydroxylation occurs within the vesicles.
- In the adrenal gland, NE is N-methylated by PNMT in the cytoplasm. Epinephrine is then transported back into chromaffin granules for storage.
Which is the step in catecholamine synthesis which is typically regulated and why?
- Conversion of tyrosine to L-DOPA by tyrosine hydroxylase
- This is because this is the slowest step, so it is the rate-limiting step
How is tyrosine moved into the nerve varicosity?
Sodium-dependent aromatic L-amino acid transporter
Describe the properties of tyrosine hydroxylase.
- Cytoplasmic, but loosely associated with the endoplasmic reticulum
- Fe2+ and tetrahydro(bio)pteridine are cofactors
- Enzyme is subject to feedback inhibition by noradrenaline (end-product inhibition) and activity regulated by phosphorylation
Describe the acute and long-term regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase.
- Acute -> Noradrenaline reduces tyrosine hydroxylase activity (end-product inhibition)
- Long-term -> Up-regulation by de novo synthesis of tyrosine hydroxylase
Describe the properties of DOPA decarboxylase and dopamine β-hydroxylase.
- DOPA decarboxylase
- Cytoplasmic
- Dopamine β-hydroxylase
- Located in storage vesicles
- Specificity not high so will convert many phenylethylamine derivatives e.g octopamine from tyramine
- Ascorbate is a co-factor
Describe the properties of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase.
- Located in the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla
- Also converts other hydroxylated phenylethylamines e.g synephrine from octopamine
What are some ways in which the synthesis pathway for catechaolamines can be targetted clinically?
- α-methyltyrosine
- Competitive inhibitor of conversion of tyrosine to L-DOPA by tyrosine hydroxylase.
- Was used to treat the effects of tumours of the adrenal medulla (pheochromocytoma) by reducing the systemic release of catecholamines.
- There is a wide range of side effects of reduced systemic catecholamines and α-methyltyrosine is not specific to a single catecholamine, so the drug is not widely used.
- L-DOPA
- Used to bypass tyrosine hydroxylase, which is usually the rate-limiting step
- Clinically, used to treat Parkinson’s because concentration of dopamine in the brain can be increased
- Carbidopa
- Inhibits conversion of L-DOPA to dopamine by DOPA decarboxylase.
- Clinically, carbidopa is used alongside L-DOPA in treating Parkinson’s disease because carbidopa cannot be taken into the brain, so it only inhibits the conversion of L-DOPA in the periphery and not the brain. This means that L-DOPA can be used to increase dopamine secretion selectively in only the brain.
- Disulfiram
- Inhibits conversion of dopamine to NA by dopamine β-hydroxylase
- Not used much for this application due to many side effects
- Clinically, disulfiram is used in inhibiting aldehyde dehydrogenase in treating alcohol dependence, since it stimulates the effects of a hangover almost immediately upon alcohol consumption.
Give an example of a false transmitter in the synthesis of catecholamines.
- α-methyldopa is a false substrate for the noradrenaline synthesis pathway
- It isconverted to α-methylnoradrenaline, which is released alongside noradrenaline into the junction
- It has higher affinity for α2 receptors (but not α1) than noradrenaline
- So it is used clinically to treat hypertension in a selective manner.
Describe how catecholamines are stored.
- Noradrenaline -> In vesicles, using vesicular monoamine transporters
- Adrenaline -> In chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla
Describe the storage of catecholamines in vesicles.
Dopamine and NA that has been reuptaken are moved into storage vesicles by vesicular monoamine transporters (VMAT), utilising a proton gradient set up by a proton pump.
Give an example of a drug that inhibits the storage of catecholamines in vesicles.
- Reserpine can be used to block the amine binding site of VMAT, preventing the uptake of catecholamines into vesicles, so that their content is depleted by leakage.
- Clinically, reserpine is used as an antihypertensive drug since the lack of catecholamines contributes to reduced heart contraction and vasodilation in certain blood vessels.
- The side effects of reserpine may include depression due to the decreased release of, for example, dopamine in the brain, but this mechanism for onset of depression has been subject to much debate.
Compare the release sites of adrenaline and noradrenaline.
Describe the process of the release of noradrenaline. How is this regulated endogenously?
- NA exocytosis is triggered by calcium influx following an action potential (as well as a small amount of spontaneous release).
- All sympathetic nerve terminals have a α2 adrenoceptors on the prejunctional membrane, which are Gi-coupled GPCR that result in decreased levels of cAMP (via adenylate cyclase stimulation) when activated. This reduces PKA activity, causing decreased phosphorylation of voltage-gated calcium channels, so that calcium influx upon action potentials is weaker and less NA is released.
Describe how the release and action of noradrenaline can be regulated clinically.
- Clonidine
- Agonist of α2 receptors on the nerve terminal membrane
- Used to treat hypertension by reducing NA release in the peripheral nervous system and the brain stem.
- α-methyldopa
- False substrate for the noradrenaline synthesis pathway and is converted to α-methylnoradrenaline, which is released alongside noradrenaline into the junction.
- It has higher affinity for α2 receptors (but not α1) than noradrenaline, so it is used clinically to treat hypertension in a selective manner.
- Guanethidine
- Taken up into vesicles, decreasing stored levels of NA in vesicles and inhibiting exocytosis by a poorly understood mechanism.
- Bretylium
- Acts in the same manner as guanethidine
- Also a blocker of potassium channels, so it is used as an antiarrhythmic drug.
- Amphetamines
- Used to treat ADHD, since they help increase release of dopamine and NA at sites of the brain responsible for attention
- Use at high doses is associated with a risk of addiction.
- Tyramine
- Trimetaphan
- Non-depolarising competitive antagonist of nAChRs at autonomic ganglia
- Due to its action on both the sympathetic and parasympathetic system it is not highly specific in action and is rarely used clinically.
- Tyramine
What are indirectly acting sympathomimetics (IAS)?
Drugs that indirectly increase the release of catecholamines.
Describe how catecholaminergic transmission is terminated.
It is mostly done MOSTLY by uptake of the neurotransmitter, rather than its hydrolysis like with ACh.
Describe the process of catecholamine reuptake after release.
There are two main pathways:
- Uptake 1
- This is the more significant pathway
- It involves reuptake of the neurotransmitter into the presynaptic variscosity
- Uptake 2
- This is the lesser pathway, mostly intended to prevent horizontal loss of the neurotransmitter
- It involves uptake of the neurotransmitter into the postsynaptic neurone
Describe uptake 1 (in terms of reuptake of noradrenaline).
- Main mechanism of reuptake -> Responsible for reuptake of 70% of NA by pumping it into the prejunctional nerve terminal.
- Enabled by the sodium-dependent NET (norepinephrine transporter).
Describe how uptake 1 (in relation to noradrenaline) can be regulated by drugs.
- Cocaine + Tricyclic antidepressants
- Block NET (norepinephrine transporter)
- So increase the concentration of NA in the junction
- Used to treat ADHD, depression and obesity, due to their psychostimulant and appetite supressing effects in the brain.
- Cocaine is not routinely used because of the high likelihood of dependence, which is also a risk with the use of ritalin.
Describe uptake 2 (in terms of reuptake of noradrenaline).
- Extraneuronal uptake
- The more minor mechanism, although it is also carries dopamine and other catecholamines.
- Involves the ENT pump, which is on the postjunctional cell membrane and is not sodium-dependent.
Describe how uptake 2 (in relation to noradrenaline) can be regulated by drugs.
- Corticosteriods
- Block ENT (extra-neuronal transporter)
- Used to treat many systemic conditions
Describe the recycling of catecholamines that are reuptaken by uptake 1 and 2.
- In the nerve terminal, NA may be packed into vesicles without being broken down, which means it can be used again.
- NA may also be broken down into a variety of products, with the initial breakdown being catalysed by MAO or COMT enzymes:
- MAO (monoamine oxidase)
- COMT (catechol O-methyl transferase)
What is MAO and how can it be regulated clinically?
- MAO (monoamine oxidase) is found in the outer mitochondrial membrane (but some is also found extracellularly)
- Functions by deaminating catecholamines, with MAO-A being primarily responsible for degradation of NA, adrenaline and dopamine, while MAO-B degrades dopamine and some other minor catecholamines.
- MAO inhibitors are used in increasing cytoplasmic NA, and therefore their packing into vesicles and exocytosis. They are used in treatment of Parkinson’s disease (such as selegiline, which is selective for MAO-B) and depression (such as clorgiline, which is selective for MAO-A).
What is COMT and how can it be regulated clinically?
- COMT (catechol O-methyl transferase) is a cytoplasmic enzyme typically associated with uptake 2 in liver, kidney and other cells.
- Most catecholamines in circulation are converted by COMT.
- Clinically, entacapone is a COMT inhibitor used as part of therapy for Parkinson’s disease.
Draw the graph to show the relative reuptake of adrenaline and noradrenaline by uptakes 1 and 2 at various concentrations.
What are the different ways in which catecholamines are degraded?
- MAO (Monoamine oxidase) -> Uses oxygen to remove amine group -> This is a mitochondrial enzyme
- COMT (Catechol-O-methyltransferase) -> Inserts a methyl group into the catecholamine -> This is soluble or membrane bound
Name some inhibitors of the degradation of catecholamines and how they work. State their medical uses.
- MAO inhibitors
- Inhibit the activity of monoamine oxidase, thus preventing the breakdown of catecholamines and thereby increasing their availability
- Uses: Antidepressants, Panic disorders, Social phobia
What are the types of adrenoceptors you need to know about?
- α1
- α2
- β1
- β2