Exam 1 Deck 1 Flashcards
How many specialized cell types are there in the brain?
Four. Five if you count ependymal cells.
Neurons
Astrocytes
Oligodendroglia
Microglia
(Ependymal Cells)
What is the embryonic origin of neurons?
Ectoderm
What are the functional unit of the CNS?
neurons
Do neurons regenerate?
CNS neurons do not regenerate much (limited examples)
PNS neurons regenerate to a much greater degree.
What is the function of glial cells?
They buffer and control the communication that comes into the neurons.
Maintain the microenvironment around the neuron.
Include:
Astrocytes
Oligodendroglia
Microglia
Ependymal Cells
What are some functions of astrocytes?
Provide structure
Metabolic support
Maintain ion balance
Supply glutamate
Maintain BBB
Which glial cells supply glutamate to neurons?
Astrocytes
Which glial cells maintain the chemical mileu around neurons and provide support for the neuron?
Astrocytes
Which glial cells provide the myelin sheath for axons in CNS?
Oligodendroglia (oligodendrocytes)
They provide the sheath of multiple CNS axons
(analagous to Schwann cells in PNS)
What is the embryonic origin of astrocytes?
Ectoderm
What is the embryologic origin of oligodendroglia
Ectoderm
What is the embryological origin of microglia?
Mesoderm
What is the main function of microglia?
Act as resident macrophages of brain and spinal cord
Activated in the case of damage and phagocytose foreign matter and apoptotic neurons
Make cytokines and neurotoxins
Which glial cells are responsible for macrophage function in the spinal cord and brain?
microglia
Which cells help maintain the blood-brain barrier (BBB)?
Endothelial cells lining the capillary wall (have TIGHT JUNCTIONS unlike other capillary endothelial cells)
Astrocytes with their foot processes
Basement membrane of capillaries
What does the blood brai barrier do?
Prevents the passage of large molecules from blood into interstitial fluid of CNS
What is the point of the blood-CSF barrier?
Prevents large molecules from passing from blood to CSF
How is the blood-CSF barrier maintained?
By tight junctions between epithelial cells of the choroid plexus
What does the choroid plexus do?
Lines the ventricles and produces CSF
Tight junctions between cells help maintain the blood-CSF barrier
How long can a neuron last (on average) in an anoxic environment?
5-7 minutes
Which cells are most sensitive to anoxia?
Neurons (specifically the cell body, or soma)
Which cells are least sensitive to anoxia?
Blood vessels
What is the order of sensitivity of anoxia (most to least)?
Nerve cells (soma then axon)
Myelin and oligodendroglial cells
Astrocytes
Microglia
Blood vessels
What are two responses of brain neurons to injury?
Eosinophilic degeneration
Axonal reaction
What occurs durin eosinophilic degeneration?
Perikaryal cytoplasm becomes eosinophilic (pink) due to mitochondrial condensation
Nucleus becomes pyknotic (dark and shrunken)
Irreversible
4-6 hours after injury?
Which brain neuron response to injury is reversible?
Axonal Reaction
Eosinophilic degeneration is irreversible
Which brain neuron response to injury is irreversible?
Eosinophilic degeneration
Axonal reaction is reversible
What occurs during the axonal reaction of brain neuron injury?
Secondary nerve cell change, following damage ot axon
Swelling and rounding of cell body
Central fragmentation and the disappearance of Nissl substance (central chromatolysis)
Migration of nucleus to periphery.
Reversible if axonal integrity is restored.
What is unique about the brain in the response to injury that involves scarring?
NOT fibrous (no fibroblasts nor collagen deposition)
Instead, a glial scar forms comprised of reactive astrocytes.
What are the steps in the formation of a glial scar?
Astrocytosis - proliferation of astrocytes
Formation of reactive astrocytes - swelling of cytoplasm, fine processes are visible (star-like)
Gliosis - laying down of the scar (glial fibers coalesce made of glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP)
What occurs during astrocytosis?
Proliferation of astrocytes
Step 1 in the process of glial scar formation
What are reactive astrocytes?
Swollen, eosinophilic astrocytes with fine processes that contain glial fibers (looks star-like)
Step 2 in formation of glial scars
What occurs durin Gliosis?
Glial fibers coalesce and form the glial scar
Scar is made of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)
What is GFAP?
Glial fibrillary acidic protein
Makes up glial scars when coalesced
What makes up a glial scar?
Coalesced glial fibers made up of GFAP
What is the role of microglial cells in the brain response to injury?
Proliferate and accumulate within 5 days
Encircle degenerating neurons and form clusters around necrotic brain tissue (microglial nodules)
Activated microglial cells differentiate into macrophages (same function as in rest of body)
What are microglial nodules?
Clusters of microglia that encircle degenerating neurons and necrotic brain tissue
What is vasogenic edema?
Failure of tight junctions and astrocytic processes of BBB
Allows fluid and protein into cerebral parenchymal extracellular space
Which type of brain edema is responsive to steroids and osmotic therapy?
Vasogenic edema
Caused by failure of tight junctions and astrocytic processes of BBB
What is cytotoxic edema?
Derangement in cellular metabolism causes failure of ATP-dependent transport (Na, Ca)
Intracellular retention of Na, water follows
Astrocytes, capillary endothelial cells, neurons all SWELL
BBB in tact
Which type of brain edema is not responsive to steroids or osmotic agents?
Cytotoxic edema
BBB intact - caused by cellular metabolic failure (retention of Na, water follows)
When do you see vasogenic edema?
Tumors
Brain abscesses
Trauma
Inflammation
Hypertension
When do you see cytotoxic edema?
Ischemia
Hypoxia
Asphyxia
Intoxication
What is the Monroe-Kellie Doctrine?
Idea that the skull has a fixed volume and must accomodate variable volumes of brain, blood and CSF
Blood and CSF can be shunted to an extent, but beyond it, changes in either volume will result in increase in intracranial pressure
Cerebral Perfusion Pressure : CPP
Mean Arterial Pressure : MAP
Intracranial Pressure : ICP
CPP = MAP - ICP
What are symptoms of increased intracranial pressure?
Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
Bradychardia
Hypertension
Loss of consciousness
Papilledema
What is neuronal plasticity?
The change or adaptation of neuronal function and structure with activity/experience
The brain may not gain or lose many neurons, but as signals are transmitted, the neurons change over time. So the same stimulus is essentially acting on a ‘different’ neuron the second time.
Which type of signaling is portrayed in a “Classical” synapse?
Axo-dendritic synapse (Glutamatergic excitatory)
What type of synapse is glutamate involved in?
Axo-spinous (Axo-dendritic)
Classical
What type of synapse is GABA and the monoamines involved in?
Axo-dendritic
How are most signals between neurons transmitted?
Chemically via neurotransmitters and neuromodulators
Only a very small percentage are transmitted via electric signals where the two neurons share ion channels.
What are the seven steps of synaptic transmission?
- Nerve impulse (action potential) invades presynaptic nerve terminal.
- Activation of Ca2+ channels and entry of Ca2+ into nerve terminal.
- Ca2+ triggers neurotransmitter release via exocytosis.
- Released neurotransmitter activates pre- and postsynaptic receptors.
- Receptor activation regulates channels to yield postsynaptic currents.
- Released neurotransmitter is removed from synapse.
- Vesicles involved in exocytosis are recaptured by endocytosis.
What are the steps in vesicular transport and recycling?
Docking to the active zone
Priming in an ATP-mediated manner
Fusion mediated by increased intracellular calcium levels
Clathrin-mediated endocytosis
Recycling and vesicular neurotransmitter transport (acidified on the inside to aid in travel towards synaptic cleft)
Why are vesicles acidified on the inside?
To aid in moving down the length of the axon of a neuron (charge)
What mediates vesicular endocytosis of vesicles in neurons?
Clathrin
What types of changes occur in the post-synaptic neuron that are responsible for plasticity?
Activation of second messengers causes transient adaptations, but the plasticity is introduced when these messengers affect transcription factors
This alters target gene expression which can alter the long-term function of neurons
What are the amino acid neurotransmitters?
Glutamate
GABA (gamma- aminobutyric acid)
Glycine
What are the monoamine neurotransmitters?
dopamine
norepinephrine (noradrenalin)
epinephrine (adrenalin)
serotonin
melatonin (only in pineal gland)
acetylcholine
histamine
What are the nucleoside neurotransmitters
adenosine
ATP
What are the lipid-derived neurotransmitters?
Anandamine
2-AG
What is a gas neurotransmitter?
Nitric Oxide (NO)
What type of neurotransmitter is Glutamate?
Amino Acid
What type of neurotransmitter is GABA?
Amino Acid
What type of neurotransmitter is Glycine?
Amino Acid
What type of neurotransmitter is dopamine?
monoamine
What type of neurotransmitter is norepinephrine?
monoamine
What type of neurotransmitter is epinephrine?
monoamine
What type of neurotransmitter is serotonin?
monoamine
What type of neurotransmitter is melatonin?
monoamine
What type of neurotransmitter is acetylcholine?
monoamine
What type of neurotransmitter is histamine?
monoamine
What type of neurotransmitter is adenosine?
nucleoside
What type of neurotransmitter is ATP?
nucleoside
What type of neurotransmitter is anandamide?
lipid-derived
What type of neurotransmitter is 2-AG?
lipid-derived
What type of neurotransmitter is Nitric Oxide?
gas
What types of receptors are referred to as ionotropic?
Ligand-gated channels
What kind of receptors are referred to as metabotropic?
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)
Which neurotransmitter is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain?
Glutamate
What does glutamate signal through?
Ligand gated Na (and sometimes Ca) channels - AMPA, NMDA, Kainate (rapid neurotransmission)
GPCRs - mGluR1-8 (autoreceptor, modulatory)
Where is glutamate found?
ubiquitous
Only a small fraction is packaged into vesicles to act as a neurotransmitter
(krebs cycle and metabolism use glutamate)
What role do astrocytes play in glutamatergic neurotransmission?
Regulatory, sequester glutamate and modify it to glutamine via glutamine synthetase
Help provide a glutamate-glutamine shunt to buffer glutamate levels, protecting neurons from excitotoxicity which can lead to death.
What are the catecholamines?
Dopamine
Norepinephrine
Epinephrine
What are the indolamines?
Serotonin
Melatonin
How do ionotropic receptors work?
Neurotransmitter binds to site on multi-subunit ion channel.
Binding opens the channel, allowing ion flow in or out of neuron.
This creates a rapid postsynaptic current.
Glutamate, ACh, serotonin, and nucleosides activate Na (and Ca) channels - excitatory
GABA, glycine activate Cl channels - inhibitory
How do metabotropic receptors work?
Neurotransmitter binds to site on single polypeptide protein.
Binding triggers conformational change in G proteins.
Released subunites then either directly or indirectly regulate ion channels
Gi -> activate K channels or inhibit Ca channels.
Also have second messengers.
How do neurotrophic factors transmit signals?
Bind to plasma receptors that leads (directly or indirectly) to protein tyrosine kinase activation.
How do steroid hormones work in neurotransmission?
Hormones diffuse passively into cytoplasm, where they bind to the steroid receptor
This can translocate to nucleus and act on DNA as a transcription factor.
What are autoreceptors?
They are receptors expressed on nerve terminals that respond to the neurotransmitter released by those terminals.
They are linked to Gi, such that activation inhibits the nerve terminal, blocking further neurotransmitter release.
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
How do neurons prevent a continual release of neurotransmitter from their axonic terminal?
Autoreceptors provide negative feedback that inhibits neurotransmitter release
What packages glutamate into vesicles?
Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGluT)
What is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and spinal cord?
GABA
What big-picture role does GABA play in the body?
Regulates the level of consciousness
Too much : sleep, coma or dead
Too little: seizures, dead
What does GABA signal through?
ionotropic receptors (Cl): GABA-A => fast inhibitory signaling
metabotropic receptors: GABA-B, GABA-C => slower modulatory inhibiting signaling
autoreceptors (GABA-B)
What are the autoreceptors for glutamate?
metabotropic (mGluR)
What are the autoreceptors for GABA?
GABA-B (metabotropic)
How is GABA synthesized?
Glutamate to GABA in a single step via Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD)
Degraded by GABA transaminase
How is GABA degraded?
GABA transaminase
What sort of drugs act on glutamatergic synapses?
psychotomimetic (psychosis inducing) drugs
e.g. phencyclidine and ketamine act on NMDA as antagonists
What sorts of drugs act on GABAergic synapses?
anticonvulsant drugs and sedative-hypnotics
anticonvulsants promote GABAergic transmission (increase GABA synthesis or blocking reuptake)
sedative-hypnotics promote GABA-A receptor function (benzodiazepines, barbituates)
Drugs that block GABA-A receptors induce seizures
Where does glycine act primarily?
Spinal cord
What is the function of glycine?
Major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord
Along with GABA
What effect do blockers of glycine receptors have?
Convulsants (induce seizures)
e.g. strychnine
What is the receptor for glycine signaling?
Trychnine-sensitive glycine receptor (ionotropic)
This gates Cl
What is the effect of strychnine?
Induces seizures.
Blocks the strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor (which would normally be inhibitory)
What is the secondary role of glycine in neurotransmission?
Acting as a co-agonist for the NMDA glutamate receptor.
Binds to a novel site on the receptor (not responsive to strychnine), and enhances the activity of glutamate on the receptor.
What are all catecholamines derived from?
Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an important precursor to which neurotransmitters?
Catecholamines
In general, what type of effect to monoamines exert ?
Modulatory - widespread projections and most neurons are responsive to them, even though few cells signal through them. They can be seen as increasing or decreasing the gain on the effect of other signals
In contrast, glutamate and GABA act in a more point-to-point fashion that exert more binary responses
Broadly speaking, what is the target of most drugs that act on the nervous system?
Monoamine neurotransmitter systems
What is the rate limiting enzyme in the series of reactions that produces catecholamines from tyrosine?
Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)
What is the rate-limiting substrate in the series of reactions that produces catecholamines from tyrosine?
L-DOPA (Dihydroxyphenylalanine)
What is the reaction that directly generates dopamine?
DOPA decarboxylase (also known as aromatic amino acid decarboxylase) converts L-DOPA to dopamine.
What is the precursor to dopamine?
L-DOPA.
DOPA decarboxylase (also known as aromatic amino acid decarboxylase) converts L-DOPA to dopamine.
What is the reaction that produces norepinephrine?
Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) converts dopamine to norepinephrine
occurs in noradrenergic neurons
What is the precursor to norepinephrine?
dopamine
What is the reaction that produces epinephrine?
phenylethanolamine-N-methytransferase (PNMT) converts norepinephrine to epinephrine
what is the precursor to epinephrine?
norepinephrine
What enzymes degrade the catecholamines?
monoamine oxidases (MAOs) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)
What is the function of monoamine oxidases (MAOs) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)?
Degrade catecholamines.
What packages catecholamines into vesicles for transport?
VMAT (vesicular monoamine transporter)
Packages dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine
Also does serotonin
What are the three nuclei of dopaminergic neurons in the brain?
Substantia nigra (SN)
Ventral tegmental area (VTA)
Arcuate nucleus
SN and VTA are in the midbrain, arcuate nucleus is in the hypothalamus
Where is the ventral tegmental area located and what does it contain?
midbrain
dopaminergic neuron nucleus
Where is the substantia nigra located and what does it contain?
Midbrain
Dopaminergic neuron nucleus
Where is the arcuate nucleus located and what does it contain?
hypothalamus
Dopaminergic neuron nucleus
Where do the substantia nigra dopamine neurons innervate (project to)?
The neostriatum (caudate-putamen).
This forms the nigrostriatal dopamien pathway.
What is the nigrostriatal dopamine pathway?
Between substantia nigra and striatum
Where do the ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons innervate (project to)?
Many regions in the forebrain (including nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex)
Crucial for reward, motivation, emotional memory, and executive planning
What is the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic neuron pathway?
Projections from the Ventral tegmental area to various areas in the forebrain
Where do the arcuate nucleus dopamine neurons innervate (project to)?
Anterior pituitary
Inhibits prolactin secretion
What is the tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neuron pathway?
From the arcuate nucleus to anterior pituitary
Dopamine inhibits prolactin secretion at the anterior pituitary
What type of receptors are dopamine receptors?
GPCRs
Which dopamine receptors are coupled to Gs?
D1 and D5 (D1 class)
Which dopamine receptors are coupled to Gi?
D2, D3, D4 (D2 class)
Which dopamine receptors serve as autoreceptors?
D2 class (D2, D3, D4)
Which neurons are lost in Parkinson’s Disease?
subsgtantia nigra dopamine neurons
What is a mainstay of treatment for Parkinsons and why?
L-DOPA (dopamine precursor), since it promotes dopamine synthesis
D-2 dopamine receptor agonists (D-2 also found post-synaptically)
Parkinson’s is caused by a selective loss of substantia nigra dopamine neurons
Muscarinic cholinergic antagonists are used to treat Parkinson’s disease, based on the role of cholinergic interneurons in regulating striatal function
Where to psychostimulant drugs work?
Dopaminergic synapses by maintaining high levels of dopamine in the synapse
Cocaine inhibits the dopamine transport (blocks reuptake)
Amphetamine ‘reverses’ it (causing release of dopamine from the transporter)
Where do most antipsychotic drugs work?
At dopaminergic synapses, blocking the D2 Receptors (either antagonists or partial agonists)
Which types of drugs block D2 receptors (antagonists or partial agonists)?
Antipsychotics
What is the main nucleus of noradrenergic (norepinephrine) neurons in the brain?
Locus Ceruleus in the pons
Where is the locus ceruleus located?
the pons
What is the locus ceruleus?
The main noradrenergic (norepinephrine) nucleus in the brain
Where do the noradrenergic neurons from the locus ceruleus project to?
Most of the forebrain
Therefore, most neurons in the forebrain are responsive to noradrenergic signals, even though only very few neurons produce norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
How does norepinephrine (noradrenergic) signaling occur?
Atypical
Released and travels long distances to exert its effect on many neurons
What does noradrenergic signaling control?
Vigilance and attention
Cenral control over ANS
Responses to stress and emotional behavior
Post-ganglionic sympathetic signaling
What type of receptors are noradrenergic receptors?
All are GPCRs
Beta (Gs)
Alpha-1 (Gq)
Alpha-2 (Gi) : autoreceptor
What type of drugs act on norepinephrine receptors?
Many drugs for cardiovascular disease and upper respiratory function
What type of receptors do many cardiovascular disease and upper respiratory funciton drugs target?
Noradrenergic receptors
What type of drugs inhibit norepinephrine reuptake?
Antidepressants
Used to treat chronic pain and ADHD
How are MAO inhibitors used?
Antidepressants
Block the breakdown of monoamines (norepinephrine)
What amino acid are serotonin and melatonin derived from?
Tryptophan
What is 5HT?
5-hydroxytryptamine
Serotonin
What is the other name for serotonin?
5HT (5-hydroxytryptamine)
What is the rate-limiting enzyme in the production of serotonin?
Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH)
What is the rate-limiting substrate in the production of serotonin?
5-hydroxytryptophan
What enzyme converts 5-hydroxytryptophan to 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin)
aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC)
How is melatonin synthesized?
From Tryptophan, through Serotonin, via an intermediate
How are serotonin and melatonin degraded?
monoamine oxidase (MAO)
What enzyme packages serotonin and melatonin into synaptic vesicles?
VMAT (Vesicular monoamine transporter)
Where are the serotinergic neuron nuclei located?
Brainstem
Most important is the dorsal raphe nucleus
Which is the most important serotonergic nucleus in the brain?
The dorsal raphe nucleus
What is the dorsal raphe nucleus?
Most important serotonergic nucleus in the brain
Where does the dorsal raphe nucleus project to?
All over the brain and spinal cord
Exert broad modulatory effects
What responses do serotonergic neurons regulate?
Stress responses and emotional behavior
Eating and weight control
Cicadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles
How many serotonin receptors are there?
14
5HT-3 is the only ionotropic (Ligand-gated)
The rest (5HT-1, 5HT-2, 5HT-4-7) are metabotropic (GPCR)
Which serotonin receptors are metabotropic?
5HT-1 (Gi)
5HT-2 (Gq)
5HT-4-7(Gs)
Which serotonin receptors are ionotropic (ligand gated)?
5HT-3
Which serotonin receptors function as autoreceptors?
5HT-1 (coupled to Gi)
How do most antidepressant drugs work?
Inhibit serotonin reuptake (SSRIs and SNRIs)
Also MAO inhibitors
What function do drugs that inhibit serotonin reuptake have?
Antidepressants
Where do new antipsychotic drugs and hallucinogenic drugs act?
5HT-2A receptors
antipsychotics block (they also act on D2 receptors)
hallucinogens are partial agonists
What drugs act on the 5HT-2A receptors?
New antipsychotics (which also act on D2 receptors) act as antagonists (block)
Hallucinogens act as partial agonists
What are 5HT-2C receptors involved in?
Feeding responses
Agonists decrease feeding
Antagonists promote feeding and can result in obesity
(at hypothalamus)
Where do new anti-migrane drugs (triptans) work?
5HT-1D as agonists
What are triptans?
New anti-migrane drugs that act as 5HT-1D agonists
How is acetylcholine synthesized?
From choline in a single step via choline acetyltransferase
What enzyme makes acetylcholine from choline + Acetyl CoA?
Choline acetyltransferase
What enzyme breaks down acetylcholine?
Acetylcholinesterase
What enzyme packages acetylcholine into vesicles?
Vesicular acetylcholine transporter
Where is acetylcholinesterase located?
In the synapse
Breakes down ACh into Choline, which can be transported into neurons for recycling
Where are cholinergic neurons located in the brain?
Forebrain nuclei - medial septal nuclei + Nucleus basalis of Meynert
Brainstem nuclei - dorsolateral tegmentum in the pons
What is the medial septal nucleus?
One of the two forebrain cholinergic neuron nuclei
Also the nucleus basalis of Meynert
What is the nucleus basalis of Meynert?
Forebrain cholinergic neuron nucleus
Along with the medial septal nucleus
What is the dorsolateral tegmentum?
Brainstem cholinergic neuron nucleus, located in the pons
Where do the forebrain cholinergic neuron nuclei project to?
Hippocampus and other forebrain structures
Important for learning, memory and cognition
Where do the brainstem cholinergic neuron nuclei project to?
Widely - important for sleep-wake cycles
(this is the dorsolateral tegmentum)
Where are cholinergic interneurons located?
Striatum
Important role in modulating striatal-dependent motor function
Which type of neurons modulate striatal-dependent motor function?
cholinergic interneurons
What is the role of acetylcholine outside of the brain?
ANS: All preganglionic sympathetic and parasympathetic, and most postganglionic parasympathetic
Somatic motor system: NMJ is cholinergic (with nicotinic receptors)
What receptors does acetylcholine act on?
Nicotinic (ligand-gated; ionotropic)
Muscarinic (GPCR; metabotropic) : autoreceptors
What are nicotinic receptors?
ligand-gated (ionotropic) acetylcholine receptors
Nicotinic receptors flux Na+ and Ca2+, thereby mediating excitatory postsynaptic currents
What type of currents do nicotinic receptors mediate?
Nicotinic receptors flux Na+ and Ca2+, thereby mediating excitatory postsynaptic currents
What does nicotine do?
Strong partial agonist at central cholinergic receptors
Actiavtes VTA (ventral tegmental area) dopamine neurons to promote reward
Why are muscarinic cholinergic antagonists are used to treat Parkinson’s disease?
Because cholinergic interneurons in regulating striatal function
What are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors used to treat?
Dementia due to their role in hippocampal circuits
What is the mechanism of the cardiovascular and related side effects (constipation, dry mouth, blurred vision) of many drugs?
Muscarinic receptor antagonism