NMJ and Motor Unit Diseases Flashcards
What are the two origins of muscle weakness?
Nervous pathway
Muscle itself
what are the disorders associated with lesions in the SOMA of the motor unit?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Poliomyelitis
what are the disorders associated with lesions in the AXON of the motor unit?
toxins, drugs and axotomy
:)
what are the disorders associated with lesions in the SCHWANN CELL of the motor unit
Guillain-Barre
Diphteria
what are the disorders associated with lesions in the NERVE ENDING of the motor unit?
Botulism
Lambert Eaton Disease
what are the disorders associated with lesions in the SYNAPTIC CLEFT
Acetycholine esterase absent
Myasthenia
what are the disorders associated with lesions in the END PLATE
Myasthenia graves
nACh-receptor
what are the disorders associated with lesions in the muscle fiber
Myotonias
muscular dystrophy
Polio virus can affect the whole body but most cases what is affected?
motor neurons in the ventral horn
how is polio transmitted?
person to person (nose, mouth, and fecal)
how would one prevent themselves from getting the polio virus?
VACCINATE!!! (90% effective)
What are the symptoms of severe cases of polio?
Permanent paralysis or death :(
what bacteria is associated with botulism?
Clostridium botulinum (anerobic bacteria)
what is the mechanism of botulism?
Stops ACh vesicles from docking at the NMJ by acting on the presynaptic proteins
why does botulism result in paralysis??
the inhibition of ACh exocytosis, results in the paralysis
what are three ways to be infected with botulism toxin?
- Eating food that contains botulism toxin
- Infection fo a wound with Clostridium botulinum
- Consuming spores of Clostridium Botulinum
What is the mechanism of action of the black widow spider toxin (alpha latrotoxin)
the toxin causes a massive release of ACh
why does a person develop tetanus and pain contraction of the muscle with the alpha latrotoxin?
The venom travels via the lymphatic system to the blood eventually reaching the nerve endings to cause the massive release of ACh and then tetanus and painful contraction of the muscles.
what is the CLASSIC characteristic of alpha latrotoxin?
cramping
what is the mechanism of action of the beta-bungarotoxin?
toxin in snake venom.
reduces ACh release by actin on proteins in the nerve terminals involved in exocytosis.
What is the mechanism of action for Curare or delta-tubocurarine?
known as the arrowhead poison
found in plants and is a reversible nAChR antagonist. (aka blocks the ach receptors)
describe the mechanism of action for Lambert eaton syndrome
Autoimmune disease where circulating antibodies are directed against voltage gated Ca2+ channels in the motor neuron terminals. so therefore causes an insufficient release of ACh.