Intro to Neuropharmacology Flashcards
BBB’s Capillaries
- Blood brain barrier
- Brain capillaries have closed intercellular clefts are closed and form tight junctions
- Fenestra are absent
- Astrocytes surround about 85% of capillaries
BBB + Drug
- Reduced diffusion of water-soluble/ionized molecules
- Drugs MUST be nonionized/lipid-soluble to pass into CNS
- Water-soluble drugs have to be moved by specific transport processes
- P-gp transporters can exclude certain compounds from the brain
High Permeability Brain Areas
- Area Postrema - adjacent to CTZ, allows toxic substances in blood to stimulate vomiting (Apomorphine)
- Medium Eminence - hypothalamic releasing factors transported to pituitary gland
- Pineal gland - releases hormones into the blood
CTZ
Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone
BBB + Pharmacological Uses
- Loratadine - antihistaminic that blocks H1 receptors in periphery, DOESN’T cross BBB, antagonism caused brain produced sedation (diphenhydramine)
- Carbidopa - dopa decarboxylase inhibitor, doesn’t enter brain, prevents levodopa conversion to dopamine in periphery
- Naloxegol - Pegylated derivative of naloxone which doesn’t cross BBB and can reverse constipation produced by opiate agonists
Spinal Cord
- Transmits messages cia afferent and efferent nerves from the periphery => CNS
- Site of some muscle relaxants and opioids
- Autonomic NS and somatic NS
Brain Stem
- Medula, pons, midbrain, and cerebellum
- 12 cranial nerves originate here
- Mediate sensory/motor function and deal with special senses
Cerebellum
- Coordinates motor movement via inputs from vestibular system/cortices
- Clinical syndromes that occurs here mainly associated with awkwardness of intentional movements
Cerebellum Syndromes
- Ataxia - poor motor coordination/balance/speech, eye movement problems, can be produced by antiepileptic drugs
- Asthenia - muscles tire more easily than normal
- Tremor - intention tremor (evident during purposeful movements)
Reticular Formation
- RAS, medulla of midbrain
- HIGHLY interconnected to other neurons
- Regulates alertness, sleep, BP, heart rate, and respiration
- Contains nuclei for monoamine neurons (NE, Epi, 5HT)
- Locus Ceruleus/Nucleus Tractus Solitarius => NE/Epi
- Raphe => 5HT
Thalamus
- Main function: relay motor and sensory signals to cortex
- Important for consciousness, sleep, and sensory interpretation
Midbrain
- Relay for auditory and cisual systems
- Dopamine neurons in substania nigra (motor control, Parkinsons)
- Ventral tegmental Area (emotion/cognitive fxn, SCZ)
Extrapyramidal Motor System
- Basal ganglia - caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus
- Dopaminergic innervation from the substantia nigra
- Disruption causes movement problems like Parkinson’s
Basal Ganglia Disorders
- Parkinsons - rigid, slownessm resting tremor. Increase dopamine function in BG to treat
- Chorea - Brief, abrupt, irregular. Treat by decreasing dopamine or enhancing GABA
- Athetosis - slow writhing, snake-like. Treat by decrease DA
- Tardive Dyskinesia - repetitive, involuntary, purposeless movements (long-term antipsychotic treatments). Treat by decreasing DA
Hypothalamus
- Integrating region for ANS
- Regulates body temperature, water balance, hunger, and hormone levels
Limbic System
- Prefrontal cortex, cingulate ortex, and entorhinal cortex
- Cimplex emotions, motivational functions, and short term memory
- Associated with SCZ, mania, depression, anxiety
Cerebral Cortex
- Higher mental fxn, cognitive/emotion
- Information processing by modality
- Somatosensory, special senses, sleep, association
Postsynaptic Receptors
- Receptor number depends on [agonist]
- Chronic excess of agonist = down regulation of receptors (desensitization)
- Chronic deficiency of agonist or antagonist blocking receptors => increase/up-regulation in number of receptors (supersensitivity)
Transporters Background
- Exist on presynaptic terminals
- Control the reuptake of neurotransmitters
- Transporter antagonists bind directly to transporter and prevent reuptake (leaves more in synapse)
Genetic Transporter Families
- NET - NE transporter
- SERT - 5HT transporter
- DAT - Dopamine transporter
- GABA transporter - GAT (1-3)
Transporter Characteristics
- DAT/NET may transport both ways
- Cocaine blcoks all 3 monoamine transporters
- TCA only block SERT and NET
- SSRI - blocks SERT (fluoxetine, paroxetine)
- SNRI - blocks SERT/NET (venlafaxine)
Neurotransmitters
-Released from one neuron to induce activity in another neuron or tissue
Neuromodulator
- Substance released from one neuron
- Little effect by itself but alters the response to other neurotransmitters (benzos)
ACh
- Acetylcholine
- CNS action from muscarinic => nicotinic receptors in CNS
- Associated with several neuropathic syndromes