Lecture 7. Noradrenergic Transmission and the Monoamines Flashcards
What are examples of catecholamines?
Noradrenaline
Adrenaline
Dopamine
What is an example of a tryptamine?
Serotonin
What enzyme converts L-tyrosine into dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA)?
Tyrosine hydroxylase (rate-limiting enzyme)
Where is tyrosine hydroxylase located?
Within noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurones and adrenal chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla
What are adrenal chromaffin cells?
The cells that produce adrenaline and noradrenaline
What can tyrosine hydroxylase be used for?
Marker for the NA and DA terminals
What enzyme converts DOPA into dopamine?
DOPA decarboxylase
What enzyme converts dopamine into noradrenaline?
Dopamine-β-hydroxylase
Where is dopamine-β-hydroxylase found?
Noradrenergic vesicles
What enzyme converts noradrenaline into adrenaline?
Phenylethanolamine N-methyl transferase
Where is Phenylethanolamine N-methyl transferase found?
Adrenal chromaffin cells of adrenal medulla
What does chromagranin A do?
Binds to noradrenaline and adrenaline within the chromaffin cells and prevents the leakage from the vesicles into the cytosol
What drug interferes with the conversion of L-tyrosine to DOPA and why is it important?
α-methylparatyrosine, used for treating tumour cells of the chromaffin cells)
What drugs interfere with the conversion of DOPA into dopamine?
Carbidopa and benserazide, inhibits DOPA decarboxylase so Parkinson’s patients can be treated with L-DOPA and cannot cross the blood brain barrier (allows selective inhibition)
What drugs interfere with the conversion of of dopamine into noradrenaline?
Disulfiram, used to treat alcohol abuse disorder
What does reserpine do?
Inhibits noradrenaline uptake, resulting in depletion
General decrease in sympathetic function
Decreases heart rate and blood pressure
What side effects are caused by taking reserpine?
Postural hypotension
Hypothermia
Sedation, depression (suicidal at high dose)
What does α-methyl DOPA do?
Converts into α-methyl noradrenaline which replaces/displaces and is released instead of noradrenaline
Less potent than noradrenaline at α₁ adrenoceptor and activates α₂ adrenoceptor, resulting in less noradrenaline release
Decreases heart rate and blood pressure
What is α-methyl DOPA used to treat?
Hypertension (during pregnency)
What is clonidine?
α₂ agonist, reduces noradrenaline release
What is clonidine used to treat?
Hypertension
Migraines
Tourette’s syndrome
Menopausal flushing
What is used as a drug target for inactivating noradrenergic transmission and why?
Norepinephrine transporter (NET), it has a high affinity and is presynaptic
What is monamine oxidase (MAO) and what is it used for?
Inhibitors used to treat depression
What is catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT) and what is it used for?
Inhibitors used to treat Parkinson’s disease
How were α-adrenoceptors and β-adrenoceptors distinguished?
Noradrenaline was more effective in tissue that predominantly contained α-adrenoceptors whilst isoprenaline was more effective in tissues which predominantly contained β-adrenoceptors
What is the representative tissue of α₁?
Vascular smooth muscle
Vas deferens smooth muscle
What is the physiological response of α₁?
Contraction