Cholinergic Drugs Flashcards
What is the major cholinergic agonist?
Ach- the natural transmitter
What are the major muscarinic agonist drugs?
bethanechol
pilocarpine
What are the major muscarinic antagonists?
atropine
tropicamide
tolterodine
tiotropium
What are the major Achesterase inhibitors?
physostigmine
neostigmine
donepezil
sarin
What is a cholinesterase reactivator?
pralidoxime
What is a nicotinic ganglionic agonist?
nicotine
What is a nicotinic ganglionic antagonist?
trimethaphan
What is the main depolarizing neuromuscular blocker?
succinylcholine
What are the major non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockers?
d-tubocurarine
vecuronium
What is a major Ach Release inhibitor
Onabotulinumtoxin A (Botox)
What type of cholinergic drug is succinylcholine?
a depolarizing neuromuscular blocker
What type of drug is trimethaphan?
a nicotinic ganglionic antagonist
What type of drug is physostigmine or neostigmine?
Acetylcholine esterase inhibitor
What type of drug is nerve gas (sarin)?
acetylcholine esterase inhibitor
If someone has been exposed to sarin, what drug would you give them? Why?
pralidoxime because it reactivates Achesterase
What contributes to the really short clearance time from the synaptic cleft?
the easily cleavable ester bond
What two structural features of Ach also have functional properties?
- easily cleaved ester bond
2. NH4+ quarternary amine which attracts it to its site of action
What receptor is found at all cholinergic AND adrenergic ganglia?
Ng (nicotinic)
What receptor is found at the parasympathetic neuroeffector junctions? What tissue specifically are affected?
Muscarinic on exocrine glands, smooth muscle and viscera
The somatic neuromuscular junction has what type of receptor?
Nm (nicotinic)
The central nervous system has which cholinergic receptors?
M and N
Where would one see non-innervated tissue with AchR? what type of receptor is present?
Muscarinic receptors are present in endothelial cells of blood vessels that cause vasodilation
How does choline enter the nerve terminal?
What drug can block choline transport into the nerve terminal?
It is co-transported with Na+ and is a rate-limiting step.
It can be blocked by hemicholinium
What does hemicholinium do?
It blocks choline from entering the nerve terminal. It is not specific or useful therapeutically
What are the three steps for synthesis and storage of Ach?
- choline enters the nerve terminal (via cotransport with Na+, blocked by hemicholinium)
- Acetyl CoA + choline -(CAT)–> Ach
- Ach is packaged into vesicles
What blocks the release of Ach from vesicles?
What facilitates excessive release?
Botulinum toxin (onabotulinumtoxin A) stops release of Ach A-latrotoxin from black widows cause excessive release of Ach by increasing Ca2+ influx
What are the two receptors for Ach?
What is a natural agonist and antagonist for each?
N agonist- nicotine
N antagonist- d-tubocurarine
M agonist- muscarine
M antagonist- atropine
What are potential effects of Ach binding to receptors?
- excitatory- depolarization of postsynaptic membrane and Ca2+ influx
- inhibitory- hyperpolarization of postsynaptic membrane
What are the two potential mechanisms by which latrotoxin releases Ach vesicles?
- Ca-dependent stimulation of neurotransmitter vesicle fusion with plasma membrane
- Release of cytoplasmic transmitter into nerve junctions via pores induced in the cell membrane by the toxin
What are the symptoms associated with a-latrotoxin?
- severe pain and muscle spasms spreading from site of spider bite
- sweating, stomach cramps. nausea, vomit
- tightness of chest, hard time breathing
- increased BP
How exactly does botulinum toxin prevent the release of Ach?
It is a protease that cleaves SNAP25, VAMP or syntaxin preventing the fusion of the vesicle with the plasma membrane to allow exocytosis
How is onobotulinumtoxinA administered? How long does it last? What happens to the muscles in the area?
It is administered by local injection, lasts weeks, and the muscles atrophy
What are the six things botox are typically used to treat?
- strabismus
- focal dystonia
- chronic blinking (blepharospasm)
- wrinkles
- hyperhidrosis (sweat glands)
- migranes
How are botulinum and tetanus similiar? How are they different?
Botulinum toxin acts on excitatory nerve endings and blocks release of Ach (thus having an inhibitory effect and causing flaccid paralysis)
C. tentani (tetanus toxin) acts on inhibitory nerve endings by the same mechanism of botulinum (prevents vesicle fusion). This inhibits the inhibitory response thus causing tentanic contraction of muscle
What are the two main types of cholinesterases?
Where is each found?
- acetylcholinesterase - at the synaptic cleft
2. butyrylcholinesterase- serum/plasma
Butyrylcholinesterase is of specific interest in the metabolism of what drug?
succinylcholine
What are the two general categories of Achesterase inhibitors? What is an example of each?
Reversible- physostigmine
Irreversible- DFP and organic phosphates (insecticides)
What snake toxin irreversibly inhibits cholinergic receptors?
alpha toxin
What is myasthenia gravis?
an autoimmune disorder where Ab are made against nicotinic receptors
What cholinergic receptor has an
“ALL or NOTHING” response?
Nicotinic receptors have an all or none response. If two Ach bind to the alpha subunits, the channel will allow depolarization and if it is enough depolarization will cause an AP and transmission of a downstream signal
What is “dual response”? What type of receptor is it associated with?
It is when continuous stimulation of a nicotinic receptor leads to:
- failure to repolarize at the postsynaptic junction
- desensitization of the receptors
What preferentially blocks Ng receptors?
Hexamethonium at synapses in autonomic ganglia and adrenal medulla
What preferentially blocks Nm receptors?
Decamethonium at synapses at the neuromuscular junction of somatic systems
Compared to nicotinic receptors, muscarinic have a __________, more _________ response.
Slower more graded response often used to regulate intrinsic activity.
MODULATION NOT CONTROL
M2 and M4 operate through what G protein? What is the result?
Gi - increased K, decreased cAMP, decreased Ca
M135 work through what G protein? What is the result?
Gq- increased PLC->IP3/DAG–> increased Ca
What natural drug blocks all muscarinic receptors?
atropine
What are the two most important things to consider when deciding the utility of a drug?
- what is the SPECIFICITY for the receptor?
2. will it get to the SITE OF ACTION (availability)?
Cholerginc drugs that are _______ amines are more likely to have effects in the CNS whereas ______ amines are largely excluded.
tertiary enter CNS, quarternary are excluded
How does hydrophobicity determine distribution of drugs?
The more hydrophobic a drug, the better it can penetrate, concentrate and provide selective action in the CNS
If 10microg/kg Ach is administered, what happens to:
- the autonomic ganglia firing rate
- HR
- BP
- GI contraction
- nothing because it is not enough to effect Ng receptors
- decreased (but potentially a reflex tachycardia)
- decreased
- increased
What happens if atropine is given with 10mg/kg Ach to:
- ganglion firing rate
- HR
- BP
- GI contractility
There will be no change in anything because this is not enough to influence nicotinic receptors and all the muscarinic receptors are blocked by atropine
If a large dose of Ach (100mg/kg) is given with atropine, what happens to:
- autonomic ganglia firing rate
- HR
- BP
- GI contractility
100mg/kg is enough to excite muscarinic, nicotinic sympathetic ganglia neurons so:
- firing rate increases
- HR increases (bc of sympathetic)
- BP increases (bc of sympathetic)
- nothing happens to GI
If 100mg/kg Ach is given with atropine and a&b blockers, what happens to:
- firing rate
- HR
- BP
- GI contractility
- increases because nicotinic receptors are still being stimulated to fire at ganglia
- normal
- normal
- normal
2-4 because BOTH parasympathetic and sympathetic are blocked
What happens if 100 mg/kg Ach is given with atropine, a&b blocker AND hexamonium to the:
- firing rate
- HR
- BP
- GI contractility
they all are cancelled because:
effector parasympathetics AND sympathetics are blocked as well as Ng by the hexamonium
Where would cholinergic agonists act?
- M receptors at NEJ
- M receptors in non-inervated vasculature
- Mg receptors (depending on penetration)
- Ng and Nm receptors IF THE CONCENTRATION OF DRUG IS HIGH ENOUGH
Why is Ach typically not given as a cholinergic drug?
because it is rapidly degraded
What is bethanechol?
Where is its site of action?
How is it taken?
Why is it better than the prototype drug?
A muscarinic agonist
GI and urinary smooth muscles
Taken orally or subcutaneously
Resistant to BchE and AchE