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PSYCH 478 > Acetylcholine > Flashcards

Acetylcholine Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 6 criteria for NT

A
  1. Presynaptic cell should contain the substance as well as a mechanism to synthesise it
  2. Substance should be released when depolarizing stimulus is applied to the neuron
  3. Receptors should be present on the postsynaptic cell
  4. Known antagonists should block the effects
  5. A system to inactivate the substance must exist
  6. Exogenous application of the substance to the postsynaptic cell should produce the same response
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2
Q

what are neuromodulators?

A

they are hormone-like in which they act at a distance, and they do not elicit a direct effect on the postsynaptic cell but instead alters the action potential of a NT whether it enhances, reduces or prolongs it.

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3
Q

what are the 5 neuromodulators?

A
  1. autocrine (self acting)
  2. juxtacrine (adjacent)
  3. paracrine (near)
  4. endocrine (far)
  5. exocrince (outside)
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4
Q

True or false: neuromodulators function in anterograde or in a retrograde manner, where the pre-synaptic can have an effect on the postsynaptic and vise versa.

A

true

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5
Q

which cells are neuromodulators released from?

A

glial cells

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6
Q

True or false: acetylcholine was the first NT to be identified, which is a common NT at the neuromuscular junction in the periphery (motor neurons releasing it on to the muscles).

A

true

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7
Q

what are the neurons that use acetylcholine termed?

A

cholinergic, as they are cells that release acetylcholine

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8
Q

what is the synthesis of acetylcholine?

A

acetyl-coenzyme A + choline —> acetylcholine
ChAT

ChAT-> acetyltransferase

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9
Q

where is ChAT only expressed in?

A

in the cytoplasm of neurons that use acetylcholine as a NT

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10
Q

where is choline primarily derived from?

A

from hydrolysis of dietary lipids (e.g., legumes, red meat and it is highest in livers) by phospholipase D

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11
Q

what happens if an athlete is low in choline?

A

gets tired easily

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12
Q

True or false: choline is water soluble and can cross the BBB anytime

A

False, although it is water soluble it is only capable of crossing the BBB due to the presence of specific choline receptors

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13
Q

how is acetylcholine metabolized?

A

it is metabolized by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to choline and acetic acid/ acetate

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14
Q

where does choline synthesis occur?

A

in the axon itself

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15
Q

where does ACh get broken down?

A

it gets broken down in the synapse itself

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16
Q

what does VAChT do?

A

it transfers ACh into its vesicles to be transported

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17
Q

True or false: ACh synthesis is tightly regulated

A

true

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18
Q

what are the three ways in which ACh synthesis is regulated?

A
  1. Product inhibition-> high levels in the cell inhibit the synthesis of further ACh by ChAT
  2. Precursor availability-> increasing dietary choline has been used to treat conditioner where the cholinergic system has been damaged (Alzheimer) but no success
  3. Neuron activity (increased during high activity)-> activity dependent synthesis ensures sufficient ACh is available during period of high activity
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19
Q

True or false: there is a limiting amount that you body uses, no matter how much you consume.

A

true

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20
Q

True or false: more active means more synthesis

A

true

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21
Q

Where is ACh stored?

A

ACh is stored in vesicles at the nerve terminal by vesicular ACh transporter

22
Q

What drug inhibits the transportation of ACh?

A

Vesamicol, leads to cystolic accumulation of ACh and blocking vesicle transport depletes the pool of release-ready vesicles

23
Q

True or false: you can only release VAChT with an action potential.

A

False, it can be done without an action potential

24
Q

How is ACh released?

A

It is released by classical vesicular exoctyosis (voltage dependent Ca2+-influx)

25
Q

What is the release of ACh triggered by?

A

Triggered by latrotoxin in periphery, if bitten by a black widow it would cause muscle pain, tremors, nausea, excessive sweating

26
Q

True or false: latrotoxin can cross the BBB

A

false, it cannot

27
Q

Where is AChE primarily present in and what does it do?

A

It is in the synaptic cleft and breaks ACh down to choline

28
Q

What transporter is choline transported by?

A

choline receptor

29
Q

True or false: only a small amount of choline is recycled to ACh.

A

False, majority of it is recycled

30
Q

What drug is re-uptake inhibited by and what happens?

A

Hemicholinium, leads to synaptic accumulation of choline and result in run-down activity

31
Q

What is another name for botox?

A

Clostridial neurotoxins

32
Q

What does botox do?

A

causes paralytic effects of botulism poisoning, injections causes muscle paralysis by inhibiting ACh release

33
Q

Fill in the blank: may drugs affecting cholinergic systems are________

A

Insecticidal

34
Q

True or false: ACh is a primary neurotransmitter of the insect CNS

A

true

35
Q

What are plant alkyloids?

A

They are secondary metabolites commonly synthesized for defense against insect or animal predation

36
Q

True or false: insecticides can cross the BBB, and can affect humans.

A

False, they cannot cross the BBB

37
Q

True or false: when there is an AChE inhibition,it decreases the rate of ACh breakdown leaving more ACh to act at postsynaptic receptors

A

true

38
Q

What is the plant-derived toxin that is BBB permeable inhibitor of AChE?

a. Physostigmine
b. Pyridostigmine
c. Neostigmine

A

a

39
Q

What are symptoms of accidental poisoning of physostigmine?

A

Slurred speech, confusion, hallucination, loss of reflex, coma, death

40
Q

What drugs are used to treat myasthenia gravis

A

Synthetic BBB-impermeable analogues neostigmine (prostigmin) and pyridostigmine (mestionon)

41
Q

True or false: physostigmine, neostigmine and pyridostigmine are irreversible inhibitors of AChE

A

False, are reversible inhibitors of AChE

42
Q

True or false: neostigmine increases in ACh in the periphery system

A

true

43
Q

What does myasthenia gravis (MG) result from?

A

Immune response to ACh receptors at neuromuscular junction– attenuating response to ACH signals

44
Q

What occurs from treatment with AChE inhibitiors for MG?

A

It prolongs the ACh signals and compensates for the lost functions

45
Q

True or false: organophosphate pesticides (malathion) inhibits AChE irreversibly.

A

true

46
Q

True or false: Organophosphate are more sensitive to humans than insects

A

false, insects are more sensitive but human toxicity is possible

47
Q

What is sarin and VX?

A

They are nerve gas and are irreversible AChE inhibitors

48
Q

What is prescribed as a preventive agent to nerve gas poisoning?

A

Pyridostigmine

49
Q

True or false: things that are irreversible are terminal and results in death

A

true

50
Q

What was pyridostigmine later found to increase?

A

It was found to increase BBB permeability under stress conditions

PSYCH 478 (28 decks)

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