CNS Drugs Flashcards
What are 4 types of ion channels and how do they affect ion influx and interact?
- V-gated channels: only open if there are certain conditions met in terms of ion balance across the membrane, very important in action potentials
- Ligand-gated (ionotropic) - don’t depend on ion concentration, depends on presence/absence of a ligand which binds a specific receptor
- Membrane delimited metabotropic ion channel - act through G protein
- Diffusable second messenger metabotropic ion channel
What drug is a Na channel blocker?
Tetrodotoxin (puffer fish)
What drug is an nACH receptor antagonist?
alpha-bungarotoxin (marine snake venom)
What drug is a GABAa receptor antagonist?
Picrotoxin (South Pacific plant)
What drug is a glycine receptor antagonist?
Strychnine (Indian plant)
What receptor do barbituates act on and what do they do?
Barbituates are GABAa receptor agonists and allow chloride to enter and hyperpolarize the cell, causing it to relax. Barbituates are anti-anxiety drugs?
What is a glutamine antagonist that acts as an antidepressant?
Ketamine
What are 3 ways to prolong the NT effect in the synaptic cleft?
- block reuptake transport to prevent NT reuptake
- prevent degradation by inhibiting the enzyme that metabolizes NT
- stimulate more release of the NT
What is the main nucleus in the brain that produces NE?
locus coeruleus
Describe teh order of metabolism of the 3 catecholamines.
tyrosine –> L-DOPA –> dopamine –> NE –> Epi
What are 3 selective NE reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)?
- Desipramine
- Maprotyline
- Protryptiline
What is a drug of abuse that blocks NE reptake so that it remains in the synaptic cleft longer?
cocaine
What are 3 dopaminergic pathways and what are their neuronal tract projections?
- Nigrostriatal - nucleus in substantia nigra and projects to striatum –> pathology: Parkinson’s
- Mesolimbic - projects to limbic area particularly nucleus acumbens in teh ventral tegmental area of the midbrain (VTA) –> pathology: psychosis
- Tuberoinfundibular - cell bodies in infundibulum send projections into the pituitary hypophysis –> inhibitory control of PRL release
What is the precursor of dopamine used for Parkinson’s disease and the enzyme inhibitor that is often combined with it?
L-dopa is the precursor to dopamine and carbidopa is the inhibitor
What kind of drugs are anti-psychotics and what are 3 examples of these types of drugs?
- Anti-psychotics are DA2 receptor antagonists
1. spiroperidol
2. primozide
3. haloperidol - this are phenothiazines
What is the primary nucleus for 5H2 and what are its projections?
raphe magnus produces 5H2 (serotonin) and it projects to the hypothalamus and cortex
What kind of neurons are GABA NTs produced in?
short interneurons
What does GABA bind to and what does binding cause. Give an example of GABA agonists.
GABA binds to GABAa receptors which cause Cl- to come into the cell and hyperpolarize the cell.
*i.e. barbituates are GABA agonists, like phenobarbitol
Give an example of a benzodiazepine and describe how it acts.
Valium is a benzodiazepine and increases Cl- entry into the cell in the presence of GABA; it is not a GABA agonist on its own
What part of the brain contains CSF?
3rd ventricle