Exam 2: Neurodegenerative Disease Therapies Flashcards
Early vs. late onset AD:
Early before age 60 (strong genetic implication); late after age 60
Two main pathologies of AD:
Brain atrophy
Protein aggregation
Parts of the brain that experience cholinergic neuron loss in AD:
Hippocampus
Frontal cortex
Five aspects of ACh signaling that are decreased in AD:
- Choline acetyltransferase activity (production of ACh)
- ACh amount
- ACh-ases
- Choline transport
- Nicotinic ACh receptor expression
Two types of protein aggregation in AD:
Amyloid plaques
Neurofibrillary tangles
Two classes of drug tx for AD:
Cholinesterase inhibitors
NMDA receptor antagonists
Three examples of cholinesterase inhibitors:
Donepezil (Aricept)
Rivastigmine (Exelon)
Galantamine (Razadyne)
MoA of cholinesterase inhibitors:
Prevents action of acetylcholinesterase, thus increasing ACh in the synapse
Indications for cholinesterase inhibitors:
Mild to moderate AD
Side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors:
N/V Diarrhea Dizziness Headache Bronchoconstriction
Efficacy of cholinesterase inhibitors:
Slight improvements
Does not halt disease
Example of NMDA receptor antagonist:
Memantine (Namenda)
Indications for NMDA receptor antagonist:
Moderate to severe AD
Efficacy of NMDA receptor antagonist:
Very modest benefits
MoA of NMDA receptor antagonist:
Blocks “leaky” channels to reduce Ca2+ induced excitotoxicity
Intracellular Ca2+ reduction means less background noise, making nerve signals relatively stronger
Two types of amyloid precursor protein processing:
Amyloidogenic
Nonamyloidogenic
Non-amyloidogenic pathway:
APP protein gets cleaved by α-secretase then γ-secretase, no Aβ formed
Amyloidogenic pathway:
APP get cleaved by β-secretase then γ-secretase; Aβ40/42 formed
Effect of Aβ plaques on cognition:
Unclear; likely soluble derivatives that are problematic, not plaques themselves
Gene that encodes Aβ-clearing protein:
ApoE