OCB03-2009 DOPAMINE Flashcards
Where are the monoaminergic neurons found in the CNS?
Cell bodies in brainstem and basal forebrain with diffuse projections
What is the general function of monoaminergic neurons?
Modify effects of major excitatory (glutamate) and inhibitory (GABA) neurotransmitters
What diseases is dopamine implicated in?
Schizophrenia
Parkinson’s disease
Restless leg syndrome
What is dopamine a precursor for?
Noradrenaline
What dopaminergic pathways are there in the CNS?
Nigrostriatal pathway
Mesolimbic pathway
Mesocortical pathway
Tuberoinfundibular pathway
Retina
Olfactory tubercle
Describe the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway.
From substantia nigra to caudate nucleus/putamen (striatum)
Control of movement
What dopaminergic pathway is compromised in Parkinson’s disease?
Nigrostriatal pathway
Describe the mesolimbic pathway.
From ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens (frontal part of caudate nucleus)
Increases responsiveness to external and internal stimuli
Involved in motivation, motor activity and reward
What dopaminergic pathway is important in drug addiction and positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
Mesolimbic pathway
Describe the mesocortical pathway.
From ventral tegmental area to frontal cortex
Involved in normal cognition, motivation, emotion
What dopaminergic is dysfunctional in psychoses and ADHD?
Mesocortical pathway
Describe the tuberoinfundibular pathway.
From arcuate nucleus (in hypothalamus) to the median eminence
Important in control (inhibition) of prolactin release from adenohypophysis
What is the pathway of synthesis of dopamine?
L-tyrosine –> L-DOPA by tyrosine hydroxylase
L-DOPA –> dopamine by L-DOPA decarboxylase (aromatic amino acid decarboxylase)
Which enzyme catalyses the reaction L-tyrosine –> L-DOPA?
Tyrosine hydroxylase
Which enzyme catalyses the reaction L-DOPA –> dopamine?
L-DOPA decarboxylase
What is the pathway of dopamine degradation in neurons?
Dopamine –> dihydroxy-phenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) by MAOa/b
DOPAC –> homovanillic acid (HVA) by COMT
What is the final metabolite of dopamine?
Homovanillic acid
What does COMT stand for?
Catechol-O-methyl transferase
What is the pathway of dopamine degradation in glial cells?
Dopamine –> 3-methoxy-tyramine (3MT) by COMT
3MT –> to homovanillic acid by MAOa/b
Where is MAO found?
In outer mitochondrial membranes in presynaptic terminal and other cells
What can MAOa metabolise?
Dopamine, NA, serotonin
What can MAOb metabolise?
Dopamine