ANS Pharmacology Flashcards
Autonomic nervous system
Smooth muscle
Cardiac muscle
Exocrine glands
Adrenergic receptors
Catecholamine
Epi, adrenaline, norepinephrine, noradrenaline
Adrenergic neuron, Adrenergic synapse, Catecholaminergic neuron, Catecholaminergic synapse, Adrenergic receptors
Adrenoreceptors
Cholinergic receptors
Acetylcholine
Cholinergic neuron, Cholinergic synapse, Cholinergic receptors
Cardiac response to adrenergic receptors
Inc heart rate
Inc contractility/conduction
Inc AV conduction
Inc ventricular contractility
Cardiac response to Cholinergic receptors
Dec heart rate
Dec atrial contractility
Dec AV conduction
Dec ventricular contractility
Anatomy of sympathetic nerves
Short preganglionic neuron
Long postganglionic neuron
Anatomy of parasympathetic neurons
Long preganglionic
Short postganglionic neuron
Anatomy of somatic neuron
One neuron
Transmitter at somatic neuron
ACh
Transmitter at sympathetic neurons
Preganglionic - ACh
Postganglionic - NE
(EXCEPTION —> ACh in sweat glands**)
Sympathetic ONE NEURON system (i.e. exception)
Adrenal medulla - direct release of Epi/NorEpi
Transmitter at parasympathetic neurons
Preganglionic - ACh
Postganglionic - ACh
Biochemistry of Catecholamine synthesis
Synthesis in adrenergic nerve terminals
Rate limiting step: tyrosine hydroxylase
Feedback (end product) inhibition - norepi
Dopamine —> norepi —> (in adrenal) epi
Synthesis of epinephrine
In adrenal medulla w/in chromaffin cells (vesicles 80% EPI, 20% norepi)
Whole process occurs in adrenal gland —> same scheme as NorEpi, but final reaction to produce EPI
NE (last step in vesicle) —> EPI conversion in cytoplasm by PNMT (transported back into vesicles for release)
PNMT
Not found in nerve terminals
Converts norepi to epi in ADRENAL MEDULLA
Uptake of norepi vs epi
Active re-uptake of NE in neurons
Epi NOT re-uptake in adrenal gland
Release of Catecholamines from adrenal gland
Stimulation of preganglionic fibers —> release of ACh onto chromaffin cells —> direct release of EPI/NE into blood stream
Mechanism of synaptic transmitter release
Nerve depolarizes —> voltage-gated Na/Ca channels open —> Ca dependent vesicle fusion / exocytosis —> diffusion of NT into synaptic cleft —> receptor binding/activation —> NT action termination / metabolism
Transporters at the synapse
Vesicular monoamine transporter (brings NE into vesicles)
Presynaptic Autoreceptor (feedback inhibition)
Plasma membrane transporter (re-uptake)
Fate of catecholamines after uptake
- reuptake into vesicles
- metabolized (MAO, COMT)
Monoamine oxidase (MAO)
Norepinephrine in cytoplasm degraded by MAO (in outer membrane of mitocondria in nerve terminal)
Competition between vesicle uptake + MAO degradationi
Catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT)
Located in SYNAPTIC CLEFT
In liver
Metabolizes norepinephrine —> excreted in urine
Receptors for catecholamines
7TM Receptor structure (GPCR)
Adrenoceptors
Stimulate cardiac ionotropy, vascular muscle contraction, skeletal muscle tremor
Relax urinary bladder muscle, uterine muscle, bronchiole muscle
Drug affinity
How tightly a compound binds a receptor
Measured experimentally by a “saturation binding isotherm”
Kd = concentration that compound occupies 50% of receptors at equilibrium
Agonist
Ligand that activates receptors
Antagonist
Ligands that block activation of receptors by cognate agonist
Efficacy
Intrinsic activity of an agonist
maximal amount of system stimulation achievable in presence of saturating concentration of agonist
Potency
Described by EC50
Concentration of drug that results in 50% maximum stimulation
“Rank order” of potency
Comparison of compounds by their EC50
Partial agonist
Does not reach the same maximum response of a full agonist
Potency vs Efficacy
Shifted left —> more potent
Shifted up —> more efficacious
How does activation of adrenergic receptors have different effects in different tissues?
- Relative affinity/potency of amine in activation of alpha or beta receptors
- Density/ratio of receptor type/subtype
- Autonomic tone of organ
- Reflex that organism makes in response to response to Catecholamine action
Adrenergic receptors in the heart
No alpha receptors in atria/ventricles
Beta response —> inc HR, inc conduction velocity, dec refractory period, incr contractility (beta1 receptors)
Cutaneous blood vessel adrenergic receptors
No beta receptors
Alpha receptors —> vasoconstriction
Skeletal muscle adrenergic receptors
Both alpha and B2 receptors (constriction, dilation, respectively)
Interaction of EPI with B2 and a1 receptors
Higher affinity for B2 than a1, but more a1 receptors
At low dose epi: B2 bound - relaxation dominates
At high dose epi: a1 also bound - contraction dominates
Distribution of adrenergic receptors
Heart - beta only
Vessels (skeletal muscle) - a + b
Bronchioles - beta only
GI - a + b
Urinary bladder - trigor/sphincter a only
Eye - radial muscle a; ciliary muscle b
Metabolism - beta (O2 consumption, glycogenolysis, lipolysis)
How activation of adrenergic receptors has different effects in tissues
- Relative affinity/potency of amine in activation of alpha or beta receptors
- Density / ratio of receptor type and subtype in organ
- Autonomic tone of organ
- Reflex (homeostatic adjustment) in response to Catecholamine action
Autonomic tone on blood vessels
Sympathetic autonomic tone predominates
Vasoconstriction with norepi —> antagonist causes vasodilation
Arterioles
Sympathetic tone
Adrenergic receptors
Vasoconstriction
Block: vasodilation/hypotension
Heart
Parasympathetic tone
Cholinergic receptors
Bradycardia (response)
Block: tachycardia