Autonomics Flashcards
What are the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
Parasympathetic and sympathetic
What portions of the spinal cord supply parasympathetic nerves?
Cranial and sacral
What portion of the spinal cord supply sympathetics?
Thoracic and lumbar (1st thracic to 2nd or 3rd lumbar)
Which cranial nerves are parasympathetic?
3, 7, 9, 10
What do the sacral parasympathetic nerves supply?
bladder, rectum, sex organs
Describe the length of presynaptic and postsynaptic parasympathetic neurons.
Long presynaptic and short post-synaptic (ganglion is close to the target organ)
Describe the length of pre-synaptic and post-synaptic sympathetic neurons.
Short pre-synaptic to paravertebral and prevertebral ganglia
The parasympathetic nervous system is organized __________ with very little ____________.
Discretely with very little cross-talk. Response will typically be one-to-one
What is the transmitter at the parasympathetic ganglion?
Ach
What is the transmitter at parasympathetic neuroeffector junctions?
Ach
We can think of parasympathetic as largely ____________ while the sympathetic system is ____________________________.
Parasympathetic = cholinergic Sympathetic = adrenergic
Where do sympathetic axons emerge and where do they synapse?
The emerge from anterior roots and synapse in paravertebral or prevertebral ganglia
Where is the paravertebral ganglion?
Where is prevertebral?
Para- chains beside the vertebral column
Pre- in the abdomen and pelvis (celiac, superior mesenteric, etc)
What system (parasympathetic or sympathetic) controls the adrenal medulla? What nerve specifically?
Sympathetic- greater splanchnic nerve where it makes NE which can be converted to epi.
80% epi, 20% NE
Proximity of sympathetic ganglia to the spinal cord permits ________ and a ________ organization of the system.
This allows a _____________ response as opposed to the ________ response of parasympathetics.
Proximity permits branching and a diffuse organization of the systems.
This allows a generalized response as opposed to the specific response of parasympathetics
What is the transmitter at sympathetic ganglion?
Neuroeffector junction>
Ach at the ganglion and NE at the neuroeffector junction most of the time but for sweat glands- Ach
Pharmacological effects can have direct actions and indirect actions via change in reflex. Using an alpha1 sympathetic blocker, describe the direct and indirect effects.
a1 blocker would DIRECTLY cause vasodilation–> reduced PVR–> reduced BP
INDIRECTLY- the lower BP would trigger the vagal reflex to increase sympathetic tone (HR, contractility) .
What is the only source for naturally produced epinephrine?
Adrenal medulla
Describe the pre and post-ganglionic neurons of the somatic nervous system.
The somatic nervous system acts on muscles DIRECTLY via long myelinated cranial and spinal nerves.
There are no pre or post ganglionic neurons because there are no ganglions outside the CNS
What neurotransmitter is at the neuromuscular junction of somatic neurons?
Ach
The vagal reflex is (parasympathetic/sympathetic) and is a ________ and __________ receptor to provide information about what three things?
Vagus is parasympathetic and is a mechano and chemoreceptor.
It gives info on BP, CO2 and gut distension
What is an example of sympathetic reflex?
The dorsal horn provides info about temperature, tissue injury, pain
Acetylcholine is synthesized from ______ and ______ by _____________.
choline and acetyl CoA by choline acetyltransferase (CAT)
Where is acetylcholine synthesized?
In the cytoplasm of the presynaptic terminal and then is stored in vesicles
What initiates the release of Ach from storage vesicles?
Depolarization of the nerve terminal which causes an influx of calcium through voltage-gated channels.
After Ach is released into the synaptic terminal, how is it removed?
acetylcholinesterase enzyme at the cholinergic synapses
What cholinesterase degrades Ach in the plasma and liver?
Plasma- butyrocholinesterase
Liver- pseudocholinesterase
How long does it take to hydrolyze Ach at the neuromuscular junction?
less than a millisecond
What toxin blocks the exocytosis of Ach? What does this cause?
Botulinum toxin blocks Ach exocytosis causing flaccid paralysis?
What does botulinum toxin A do?
It blocks the release of Ach from the presynaptic terminal causing flaccid paralysis
What does alpha-latrotoxin do?
Where does it come from?
Causes massive release of Ach vesicles from the presynaptic terminal.
It comes from a black widow spider
What would you expect from a specific inhibitor of pseudocholinesterase?
- No effect on neuroeffector junctions because plasma Ach has no effect
- Longer half life for exogenously given choline esters (succinyl choline muscle relaxer)
What drug blocks the nicotinic effects of Ach?
Curare
What drug blocks the muscarinic effects of Ach?
Atropine
What does curare do?
blocks the effects of nicotinic receptors