Intro to Neuropharmacology Flashcards

1
Q

BBB’s Capillaries

A
  • Blood brain barrier
  • Brain capillaries have closed intercellular clefts are closed and form tight junctions
  • Fenestra are absent
  • Astrocytes surround about 85% of capillaries
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2
Q

BBB + Drug

A
  • 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
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3
Q

High Permeability Brain Areas

A
  1. Area Postrema - adjacent to CTZ, allows toxic substances in blood to stimulate vomiting (Apomorphine)
  2. Medium Eminence - hypothalamic releasing factors transported to pituitary gland
  3. Pineal gland - releases hormones into the blood
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4
Q

CTZ

A

Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone

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5
Q

BBB + Pharmacological Uses

A
  1. Loratadine - antihistaminic that blocks H1 receptors in periphery, DOESN’T cross BBB, antagonism caused brain produced sedation (diphenhydramine)
  2. Carbidopa - dopa decarboxylase inhibitor, doesn’t enter brain, prevents levodopa conversion to dopamine in periphery
  3. Naloxegol - Pegylated derivative of naloxone which doesn’t cross BBB and can reverse constipation produced by opiate agonists
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6
Q

Spinal Cord

A
  • Transmits messages cia afferent and efferent nerves from the periphery => CNS
  • Site of some muscle relaxants and opioids
  • Autonomic NS and somatic NS
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7
Q

Brain Stem

A
  • Medula, pons, midbrain, and cerebellum
  • 12 cranial nerves originate here
  • Mediate sensory/motor function and deal with special senses
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8
Q

Cerebellum

A
  • Coordinates motor movement via inputs from vestibular system/cortices
  • Clinical syndromes that occurs here mainly associated with awkwardness of intentional movements
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9
Q

Cerebellum Syndromes

A
  1. Ataxia - poor motor coordination/balance/speech, eye movement problems, can be produced by antiepileptic drugs
  2. Asthenia - muscles tire more easily than normal
  3. Tremor - intention tremor (evident during purposeful movements)
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10
Q

Reticular Formation

A
  • 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
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11
Q

Thalamus

A
  • Main function: relay motor and sensory signals to cortex

- Important for consciousness, sleep, and sensory interpretation

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12
Q

Midbrain

A
  • Relay for auditory and cisual systems
  • Dopamine neurons in substania nigra (motor control, Parkinsons)
  • Ventral tegmental Area (emotion/cognitive fxn, SCZ)
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13
Q

Extrapyramidal Motor System

A
  • Basal ganglia - caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus
  • Dopaminergic innervation from the substantia nigra
  • Disruption causes movement problems like Parkinson’s
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14
Q

Basal Ganglia Disorders

A
  • 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
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15
Q

Hypothalamus

A
  • Integrating region for ANS

- Regulates body temperature, water balance, hunger, and hormone levels

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16
Q

Limbic System

A
  • Prefrontal cortex, cingulate ortex, and entorhinal cortex
  • Cimplex emotions, motivational functions, and short term memory
  • Associated with SCZ, mania, depression, anxiety
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17
Q

Cerebral Cortex

A
  • Higher mental fxn, cognitive/emotion
  • Information processing by modality
  • Somatosensory, special senses, sleep, association
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18
Q

Postsynaptic Receptors

A
  • 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)
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19
Q

Transporters Background

A
  • Exist on presynaptic terminals
  • Control the reuptake of neurotransmitters
  • Transporter antagonists bind directly to transporter and prevent reuptake (leaves more in synapse)
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20
Q

Genetic Transporter Families

A
  1. NET - NE transporter
  2. SERT - 5HT transporter
  3. DAT - Dopamine transporter
  4. GABA transporter - GAT (1-3)
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21
Q

Transporter Characteristics

A
  • 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)
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22
Q

Neurotransmitters

A

-Released from one neuron to induce activity in another neuron or tissue

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23
Q

Neuromodulator

A
  • Substance released from one neuron

- Little effect by itself but alters the response to other neurotransmitters (benzos)

24
Q

ACh

A
  • Acetylcholine
  • CNS action from muscarinic => nicotinic receptors in CNS
  • Associated with several neuropathic syndromes
25
ACh Associated Syndromes
1. Alzheimer's - severe impairment of cognitive function, treat with choline and anticholinersterases 2. Parkinsons - extrapyramidal motor impairment, cholinergic/dopaminergic imbalance. Anticholinergics may help 3. Huntington's - degeneration of cholinergic interneurons, cholinergic/dopaminergic imbalance. Antipsychotics may help by blocking dopamine 4. Central side effects - induced by many drugs, cause atropine-like effects
26
Catecholamines
- NE - Epi - DA
27
NE
- RAS, locus ceruleus, and lateral tegmental system - Alpha and Beta receptors - Alpha2 - autoreceptors that decrease NE neurons from brain stem - Site of action of Clonidine (agonist) - regulates BP, suppresses SNS activity (withdrawal, anxiety, ADHD)
28
Epi
- Located in lower brain stem | - Role in regulating blood pressure
29
DA
- Predominate catecholamine in CNS - Nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, mesocortical, tuberinfundibular system - DA inhibits prolactin secretion - Bromocriptine (dopamine agonist) - treats hyperprolactinemia
30
DA Receptors
- D1 and D5 structurally similar - D2, D3, and D4 structurally similar - D2 plays the predominent role in Parkinson's and response to antipsychotic drugs - Extrapyramidal symptoms (drug SE), more likely with 1st gen. antipsychotic drugs
31
5-HT
- An indolamine - Tryptophan hydroxylase - rate-limiting enzyme, not saturated so diet can influence production - Fenfluramine - indirect 5-HT agonist (removed for toxicity)
32
5-HIAA
-Principle metabolite, 2 isoforms of MAO -MAO-A: metabolizes 5-HT, NE, DA, tyramine. Blocked by tranulcypromine (Parnate) which inhibits A and B -MAO-B: metabolizes DA, blocked selectively by selegiline for Parkinsons
33
SSRI
- Antidepressant with fewer SE than TCA - EX: Fluoxetine - Used from depression, bulimia, anorexia, and panic disorder
34
5HT1 Receptors
- G-protein linked and decrease adenylyl cyclase - 5HT1A postsynaptic receptors that may be responsible for "serotonin syndrome" (overdose of 5-HT uptake inhibitor) - Produces myoclonus, tremor, ataxis, akathisia, diaphoresis, delirium, life threatening hyperthermia
35
5HT1A Autoreceptors
- Buspirone (Buspar): selective partial agonist - Used to treat anxiety - Less sedative properties than other antianxiety drugs
36
5HT1B
- Mediates vasoconstriction on cerebral vascular | - Sumatriptan (Imitrex) is selective agonist useful in treating migraines
37
5HT2 Receptors
- G-protein linked/phospholipase C - 5HT2A - receptors mediate forebrain cortical excitations (Risperidone, selective antagonist) - 5HT2C - regulate appetite (Lorcaserin, selective agonist to decrease appetite)
38
5HT3 Receptors
- Ligand-gated ion channel - Dense in area postrema where they influence emesis - Selective antagonist is Zofran
39
5HT + Physiological Roles
- Sleep - Anxiety (Buspirone) - Cognition (Risperidone) - Temperature regulation - Appetite - Mood
40
GABA
- Gamma aminobutyric acid | - Inhibitory transmitter, primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in CNS
41
GABA-A
- GABA-A, accounts for pharmacological actions of benzos and barbs - Ligand-gated Cl- channel, causes hyperpolarization
42
GABA-B
- G-protein coupled receptor - Baclofen - agonist, muscle relaxant and antispastic drug - NOT modulated by benzos and barbs - Presynaptic GABA-B decrease calcium conductance and transitter release - Postsynaptic GABA-B mediate IPSP by opening K+ channels
43
Glutamate + Asparate + NMDA Receptor
1. Excitatory amino acids - high concentrations in the brain/increase neuronal activity synthesized from glutamine 2. Ligand-gated ion channel (Ca++/Na+) 3. Glutamate receptor site - opened by glutamate causing Ca++/Na+ enter neuron and depolarization/excitation to occur 4. Synthesized from gltuamine
44
Memantine
- Namenda - Competitive antagonist at glutamate receptor - Alzheimer's drug therapy
45
Felbamate
- Felbatol - Glycine antagonist - Glycine potentiates the binding of glutamate - Antiepileptic drug therapy
46
PCP/Ketamine
- Dissociative anesthetic with receptor sites inside the glutamate channel - Noncompetitive and indirectly antagonize glutamate
47
General Characteristics of CNS Drugs
1. Physiological State 2. Physical Dependence 3. Psychological Dependence 4. Tolerance
48
Physiological State
- Many CNS drugs stimulate or depress the brain - Stimulant/depressant effects are usually additive with other drugs in their class - Receptor antagonist represents a true antagonism/"antidote" (opioid => Naloxone, benzo => Flumazenil) - Physiological antagonism is more common and is rarely complete (caffeine against ethanol sedation
49
Physical Dependence
- Removal of drug from a dependent person - Results in withdrawl or abstinence syndrome - Cross-dependent to other drugs in same pharmacological class
50
Psychological Dependence
- Individual feels that the effects of a drug are necessary to maintain an optimal state of well-being - Doesn't necessarily imply pathology, but becomes pathological when the use of drug impairs functioning - May occur without physical dependence or tolerance => basis of compulsive drug use and addiction
51
Tolerance
-Repeated administration, same dose has lesser effects 6 types of tolerance: - Pharmacokinetic - Pharmacodynamic - Cross Tolerance - Behavioral/learned - Acute - Innate
52
Pharmacokinetic Tolerance
- Less drugs gets tot he site of action | - Increase in hepatic enzymes => increased metabolism => metabolic tolerance
53
Pharmacodynamic Tolerance
- Same amount gets to drug site but response is reduced | - Changes in receptors or mechanisms
54
Cross Tolerance
- Tolerance to most/all drugs within a class - May be partial or incomplete - "opioid rotation"
55
Behavioral/Learned Tolerance
- Same amount of drugs gets to site | - Individual compensates
56
Acute Tolerance
- Rapid developing tolerance | - Can occur within a few hours after exposure to CNS drugs
57
Innate Tolerance
- Genetically determined | - Less affected by certain drugs on an individual basis