DRUGS

Question 1

What neurotransmitter do motor neurons mainly release

Answer 1

Acetylcholine

Question 2

1. Why does poison released by black widow cause muscle cramps, pain and nausea
2. is it an agonist or antagonist

Answer 2

1. Because it triggers the release of acetylcholine from motor neurons by disguising itself as calcium and getting released when the vesicle docs which causes muscle spasms (activates the vesicular release machinery)
2. it’s an agonist bc it causes activity (it’s excitatory)

Question 3

A drug that attaches to the same binding where the neurotransmitter normally binds, but it doesn’t activate the receptor is a _______

Answer 3

competitive antagonist

Question 3

What effect does neostigmine have

Answer 3

It inhibits acetylcholinesterase, which is the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine in the synapse: it causes the acetylcholine to stay around longer in the synapse, causing prolonged muscle contraction

Question 3

1. Antipsychotics are a dirty drug. What does that mean?
2. What does it block (most importantly)

Answer 3

1. they bind to more than type of receptor.
2. they directly block the dopamine D2 receptor, which is an inhibitory metabotropic receptor expressed by neurons all over the brain.

Question 4

1. What are the 4 drugs that activate serotonin receptor 5Ht-2A ?
2. Which one is not a hallucinogen?

Answer 4

1. mescaline, psilocybin, LSD and lisuride
2. Lisuride is not a hallucinogen

Question 5

what are allosteric modulators

Answer 5

Non-competitive drugs that only influence receptor activity when the neurotransmitter is also bound to the receptor

Question 6

what is biased agonism

Answer 6

how certain drugs (or ligands) can interact with receptors in a way that causes different effects, even though they are technically activating the same receptor

Question 7

what are drugs that reverse catecholamine reuptake transporters, (makes dopamine and norepinephrine flow out of the axon terminal before being packaged into a vesicle)

Answer 7

adderall and crystal meth 🥶

Question 8

1. what are drugs that block catecholamine reuptake transporters (block reuptake of dopamine & norepinephrine)

Answer 8

cocaine & methylphenidate

Question 9

1. Why does botulinum toxin (botox) cause muscle paralysis when ingested
2. is it an agonist or antagonist

Answer 9

1. Because it blocks the calcium binding site so the vesicle just sits there but can’t release acetylcholine when the action potential comes
2. antagonist bc it blocks an action

Question 10

What are the similarities & differences between
1. Heroin
2. Morphine
3. Imodium anti-diarrheal

Answer 10

In common, they’re all very strong opiates that cause constipation

Heroin - very easily crosses the blood-brain barrier (because an enzyme in the
blood makes it very lipid/fat soluble)
Morphine - less easily crosses the blood-brain barrier (it is less lipid soluble than heroin)
Imodium Anti-Diarrheal - does not cross the blood-brain barrier.

Question 10

Enzymes synthesize neurotransmitter from precursor molecules. Some antagonists work by blocking these enzymes; what does that do

Answer 10

It reduces production of the neurotransmitter so there is less in each synaptic vesicle