Neurotransmitters Flashcards
List the two inhibitory neurotransmitters in the nervous system.
- GABA
- Glycine
List some (8) excitatory neurotransmitters found in the nervous system.
- Acetylcholine (Ach)
- Aspartate
- Adrenaline
- Dopamine
- Histamine
- Glutamate
- Noradrenaline
- Serotonin
Glutamate is known as…
Amino acids that are always excitatory?
What is the general main role of Dopamine?
Modifying somatic movements and happiness, emotion & behaviour are regulated by dopamine.
What are the amino acid neurotransmitters in the nervous system?
Acetylcholine, Glutamate, Aspartate, GABA & Glycine are amino acid neurotransmitters.
All of the drugs used in the stalling of progression of dementia (alztheimers disease) act on which type of neurotransmitters?
Amino acid neurotransmitters.
Of the 4 drugs 3 affect Acetylcholine pathways and the other effects Glutamate.
What are the monoamine neurotransmitters (4) in the nervous system?
Adrenaline,
Noradrenaline,
Serotonin,
Dopamine.
Are neuorpeptides such as substance p and endorphines considered neurotransmitter?
Yes
What are the two nuclei and pathways effected in the cholinergic hypothesis of Alzheimers Disease?
Ach neuron nuclei implicated in Alzheimers Disease.
1. The Nucleus Basalis (nucleus > cortex).
2. The Septohippocampal nucleus (Septal area > via hypothalamus > hippocampus). (*key in learning and memory).
3. Pedunculopontine / lateraodorsal tegmental nucleus.
What three drugs are used to treat Alzheimer’s Disease which act on Ach Pathways.
- Donepezil
- Rivastigmine
- Galantamine
These drugs are AchE inhibitors that can cross the blood brain barrier thus they increase the amount of Ach in these neurons of the Basalis nucleus and the septohippocampal nucleus by preventing AchE from degrading the neurotransmitter Ach.
There are four drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s Disease. Three are AchE inhibitors and the last is an NMDA antagonist. What is it called and how does it work?
Memantine is a NMDA (glutamate) receptor antagonist. Glutamate is a Amino Acid that is believed to be implicated in neuronal death in Alzheimer’s Disease thus it is theorised blocking Glutamate levels prevents neuronal cell loss.
What is the MOA of botulinum toxin (Botox)?
Botox inhibits SNARE proteins from facilitating exocytosis of Ach from cholinergic neuron terminals. Because Botox has a very high affinity for cholinergic SNARE proteins. This prevents the normal SNARE protein facilitated exocytosis of Ach from cholinergic neurons thus causing a cholinergic deficit and therefore paralysis at the site of injection.
In the absence of ACH release from cholinergic neurons there is no Ach to bind to and stimulate skeletal muscle ligand gated channels, which would induce depolarisation > contraction of skeletal muscles.
Remember when Ca2+ enters the terminal button via the voltage gated ion chanel it is calcium that interacts with the SNARE proteins to promote transport of the vesicle to the synaptic cleft for fustion and exocytosis.
Acetylcholine (Ach) works on which types of receptors?
- Nicotinic (ligand gated ion channel)
- NN (Ganglia)
- NM (skeletal Muscle) - Muscarinic receptors (G protein coupled receptors)
- M1 (Neuronal) -< Gq receptors
- M2 (Cardiac tissue) -Gi receptors
- M3 (Glandular tissue) -< Gq receptors
What are common uses of Botox?
Wrinkle reduction,
Spacity
What are the different types (3) of G protein coupled receptors?
- Gs - stimulatory receptors
- Gi - inhibitory receptors
- Gq - super-stimulatory receptors