Cholinergic Neurotransmission, Cholinergic Drugs, Adrenergic Drugs Flashcards
MOA of skeletal muscle contraction
ACh binds to NICOTINIC receptors
ACh is degraded fast => suitable for NMJ
MOA of fight or flight response
HR and force increases
Vascular SM contracts => increase in BP
Visceral SM relaxes
Glandular secretions reduce
MOA of parasympathetic/rest & digest response
HR and force decreases
Visceral SM contracts
Glandular secretions increase
Which division of ANS has longer preganglionic axons
Parasympathetic
Physiological effects caused by symapthetic vs PS ANS
8 steps in neurotransmission
- Neuron takes up precursor
- Synthesis of transmitter
- Transmitter stored in vesicles
- Depolarisation by AP
- Ca2+ influx
- Transmitter released by exocytosis (Ca2+ mediated)
- Binds to postsynaptic receptors, although not always postsynaptic
- Transmitter action terminated by enzymatic metabolism/reuptake
- Reuptake of choline
How is choline taken up
Choline is taken into the cholinergic neuron via carrier-mediated transport
The rate limiting step for ACh production
What is the rate limiting step for ACh production
Choline being taken up by cholinergic neuron via carrier-mediated transport
How is ACh synthesised
Choline is acetylated using Acetyl CoA as a source of acetyl groups
This is catalysed by choline acetyltransferase
How is ACh packaged into vesicles
Actively packaged into vesicles by an amine transporter
Conc of ACh is very high in vesicles - 100mmol/L
Conc of ACh in vesicles
100 mmol/L
Depolarisation of cholinergic neuron
nerve terminal depolarises and VG Ca2+ channels open
Ca2+ enters the nerve terminal
How is ACh released by exocytosis
Due to Ca2+ entry, synaptobrevin on the VESICLES forms a complex with syntaxin on the inner surface of the plasma membrane thereby causing membrane fusion and exocytosis
ACh is released from nerve terminal into the synapse
What are syntaxin and synaptobrevin a target of
BOTOX
Name the 2 types of ACh receptors
Nicotinic
Muscarinic
At what receptor is ACh more potent
Muscarinic receptors
i.e. larger doses are required to activate nicotinic receptors
What are the subtypes of nicotinic receptors
Muscle - skeletal
Ganglion - ANS
CNS - brain
5 subtypes of muscarinic receptors
M1 - acid (gastric parietal cells)
M2 - heart
M3 - glandular/SM
M4
M5
M1
Acid - gastric parietal cells
M2
Heart
M3
Glandular/SM
How is ACh action terminated
By enzymatic breakdown in the synapse
This is catalysed by acetylcholinesterase
ACh is broken down into choline and acetate
How is choline taken back up
Noradrenergic neurotransmission - 8 steps
- Neuron takes up precursor
- Synthesis of transmitter
- Transmitter stored in vesicles
- Depolarisation by AP
- Ca2+ influx
- Transmitter released by exocytosis
- Binds to (postsynaptic) receptors
- Transmitter action is terminated by enzymatic metabolism/reuptake
What are catecholamines derived from
What NTs are catecholamines
Derived from tyrosine
Include NA, dopamine and adrenaline
What does the NA neuron take up
Tyrosine via carrier-mediated transport
Tyrosine is an aromatic AA that is present in body fluids
how do noradrenergic neurons synthesise NA
Tyrosine is converted to NA in a number of steps catalysed by different enzymes
The first step - hydroxylation of tyrosine - is the rate-limiting step
Rate limiting step in synthesis of noradrenaline
Hydroxylation of Tyrosine - tyrosine hydroxylase
Enzyme responsible for conversion of Tyrosine → DOPA
Tyrosine Hydroxylase
Enzyme responsible for conversion of DOPA → dopamine
DOPA decarboxylase
Enzyme responsible for conversion of dopamine → NA
Dopamine Beta-hydroxylase
Enzyme responsible for conversion of NA to adrenaline
Where is it found
Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (found in the medulla)
What sort of substance is adrenaline
Hormone
How is NA packaged into vesicles
By an amine transporter
The conc of NA is very high in vesicles (0.3-1 mol/L)
ATP is also stored in NA vesicles
ratio of 4 molecules of ATP per molecule of NA
Consequences of depolarisation of nerve terminal
VG Ca2+ are opened
Ca2+ enters the nerve terminal
How is NA released
Due to Ca2+ entry, synaptobrevin on vesicles forms complex with syntaxin on inner surface of plasma membrane thereby causing membrane fusion and exocytosis
What are the 2 types of NA receptors
Alpha-adrenoreceptors - α1 and α2
Beta-adrenoreceptors - β1 β2 β3
What are alpha-adrenoreceptors responsible for
SM contraction
β1 receptors
Increase rate and force of cardiac contraction
β2 adrenoreceptors
Found on visceral SM - relax it
Bronchus, uterine
β3 receptors
Free source of energy from adipocytes
How is NA action terminated
UPTAKE 1
By reuptake in noradrenergic nerve terminals
UPTAKE 2
Uptake into non-neuronal cells e.g. SM, cardiac muscle, endothelium
Which uptake is most important for termination of NA action
Uptake 1 (into NAergic nerve terminals)
What does cocaine do
Stops reuptake of NA by blocking Uptake 1
(also transporter protein for dopamine in our brains)
How is NA recycled or broken down
Up to 50% of NA taken up by uptake 1 is repackaged into vesicles and recycled by NAergic neuron
The rest (and that taken up by reuptake 2) is metabolised
How is NA metabolised in the periphery
Enzymes used in metabolism of NA
MAO - monoamine oxidase
COMT - Catechol-O-methyl transferase
ADH - Aldehyde dehydrogenase
Periphery metabolites in metabolism of NA
DOMA - 3,2-dihydroxymandelic acid
NM - normetanephrine
VMA - Vanillylmandelic acid
Overview of NAergic neurotransmission
- Neuron takes up tyrosine
- Synthesis of NA
- NA stored in vesicles
- Depolarisation by AP
- Ca2+ influx
- NA released by exocytosis
- NA binds to postsynaptic adrenoceptors
- NA action is terminated by reuptake
- NA recycled or metabolised by MAO or COMT
Where is cholinergic NT seen
NMJ - muscle nicotinic receptors
ANS/Parasympathetic - muscarinic receptors (M1, M2, M3)
MOA of presynaptic cholinergic drugs
- Inhibit choline uptake transporter
- Inhibit ACh storage transporter
- Inhibit ACh release process
Postsynaptic cholinergic drugs - MOA
Mimic action of ACh - cholinergic agonists
Block action of ACh - cholinergic antagonists
MOA of synaptic drugs
Inhibit AChesterase - anticholinesterases
Overview of drugs affecting cholinergic transmission
Drugs that inhibit choline uptake transporter
Hemicholinium
Triethylcholine
Drugs that block ACh storage transporter
Vesamicol
Drugs that inhibit ACh release
Botulinum toxin
β-bungarotoxin
Anticholinesterases - short duration
Edrophonium
Anticholinesterases - medium duration
Neostigmine
Physostigmine
Pyridostigmine
Anti-cholinesterases - irreversible
Dyflos
Parathion
Ecothiopate
Cholinergic agonists - muscarinic
Bethanacol
Pilocarpine
Cholinergic agonists - nicotinic
Suxamethonium
Cholinergic antagonists - muscarinic
Atropine
Hyoscine
Ipratropium
Pirenzepine
Cholinergic antagonists - nicotinic
Tubocurarine
Pancuronium
Atacurium
Vecuronium
Trimethaphan
MOA hemicholinium
Competitive inhibitor of choline uptake
Competes with choline for binding to choline transporter
Not taken up itself
Triethylcholine
Competitive inhibitor of choline uptake
Competes with choline for uptake via the choline transporter taken up itself
acetylated (by ChAT) and stored
Released as a false transmitter
MOA vesamicol
Inhibits the vesicular acetylcholine transporter
Therefore prevents ACh transport into vesicles
MOA of botulinum toxin
A protein produced by clostridium botulinum
Can cause BOTULISM (rare form of food poisoning that causes resp and musculoskeletal paralysis)
Contains several peptidases that cleave the proteins involved in exocytosis of ACh
MOA of β-bungarotoxin
Protein in venom of certain cobras
Contains a phospholipase that also prevents exocytosis of ACh
Blockade of choline uptake
Hemicholinium
Triethylcholine