Neurochemistry
basic chemical composition and processes of the nervous system
Neuropharmacology
study of compounds that selectively affect the nervous system
Exogenous substances
molecules from OUTSIDE our own bodies, used throughout human history to affect our physiology and behavior
Endogenous
occurs naturally WITHIN the body
Endogenous ligands
substances that the brain produces
receptors
protein molecules in the postsynaptic membrane
When activated by a neurotransmitter, the receptors
Change shape- ionotropic receptors
Alter chemical reactions in the target cell- metabotropic receptors
Ligands may be
Agonists, Antagonists, Inverse agonists
Agonists
mimic effects of another transmitter
Antagonists
bind receptor without activating it
Inverse agonists
bind to receptor and initiates opposite effect of usual transmitter
competitive ligands
Drugs that act as either agonists, antagonists or inverse agonists
bind to the same part of receptor molecule as endogenous ligand
noncompetitive ligands (neuromodulators)
bind to modulatory sites that are not part of the receptor complex that normally binds the transmitter
Co-localization (co-release)
occurs when nerve cells contain more than one type of neurotransmitter
The most prevalent excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain are
glutamate, aspartate
Glutamate is associated with
excitotoxicity
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is associated with
inhibitory
GABAa
ionotropic, producing fast, inhibitory effects
GABAb
metabotropic, slow inhibitory effects
GABAc
ionotropic with a chloride channel
GABA agonists, like Valium, are
potent tranquilizers
_____ was mapped by the enzymes involved in its synthesis
Acetylcholine (ACh)
Cholinergic nerve cell bodies and projections contain _____
ACh
Acetylcholine (ACh) is lost in
Alzheimer's disease
Acetylcholine (ACh) is involved with
learning and memory
Two types of ACh receptors
Nicotinic, Muscarinic
Nicotinic
ionotropic and excitatory
(Example: Muscles use nicotinic ACh receptors (nAch)—paralysis can be induced with an antagonist, such as curare)
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is implicated in _____ , mood, _____ behavior, and anxiety.
sleep, sexual
Two main classes of monoamine neurotransmitters
Catecholamines, Indoleamines
Catecholamines (from tyrosine)
dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine
Indoleamines (from tryptophan)
melatonin, serotonin
Dopamine (DA) is important in _____ and neuronal loss in a dopamine pathway is a cause of ___________ disease.
motor control Parkinson's
DA is involved in
reward, reinforcement, and learning
abnormalities are associated with schizophrenia
Norepinephrine (NE) is also known as
noradrenaline
Cells producing noradrenaline are
noradrenergic
The NE systems modulate processes including
mood, arousal, and sexual behavior.
Muscarinic
G protein-coupled (metabotropic), slower, and excitatory or inhibitory
(Muscarinic ACh receptors can be blocked by atropine or scopolamine to produces changes in cognition)
____, such as Prozac, increase 5-HT activity—effects depend on which receptor subtypes are affected.
Antidepressants
Peptides act as neurotransmitters at some synapses, or as _____
hormones
Opioid peptides mimic
opiate drugs such as morphine
Pituitary hormones are
oxytocin, vasopressin
_____ are in gut, spinal cord, or brain
Peptides
Nitric oxide (NO)
• Produced in cellular locations • Does not interact with membrane-bound receptors (diffuses out of and into cells) • Can act as a retrograde transmitter
Many drugs are _____ that act upon specific receptor molecules.
ligands
_____ is a gas neurotransmitter
Nitric oxide (NO)
Drugs may target ___________ receptor subtypes.
one or a few
binding affinity
the degree of chemical attraction between a ligand and a receptor
A drug with a ___________ affinity for its receptor will be effective at very ___________ doses.
high, low
Neurotransmitters are ___________ ligands, allowing them to rapidly ___________ from receptors.
low affinity, dissociate
efficacy
intrinsic activity, ability of a bound ligand to activate the receptor
Agonists have ___________ efficacy
high
Antagonists have ___________ efficacy
low
Partial agonists produce a _____ response regardless of dose.
medium
dose-response curve (DRC)
graph of the relationship between drug doses and the effects
pharmacodynamics
functional relationship between drugs and their response
DRC is a tool to understand
pharmacodynamics
_____ of two drugs can be compared by their ED50 values.
Relative potency
A drug that has comparable effects at ___________ doses is more potent.
lower
The therapeutic index is the separation between the ___________ dose and a ___________ one.
effective, toxic
Drug tolerance
successive exposures have decreasing effects
Metabolic tolerance
Organ systems become more effective at eliminating the drug
Functional tolerance
Target tissue may show altered sensitivity to the drug
Changes in numbers of receptors can alter _____ in the direction opposite to the drug's effects
sensitivity
Neurons _____ in response to an agonist drug (fewer receptors available)
down-regulate
Neurons _____ in response to an antagonist
up-regulate
Cross-tolerance
tolerance to a whole class of chemically similar drugs
(ex- building a resistance to anesthesia because of alcohol abuse because both drugs affect the body similarly)
Withdrawal symptoms may be caused by
drug tolerance
Sensitization
drug effects become stronger with repeated treatment
(ex- cravings)
bioavailable
free to act on the target (The ability of a nutrient to be readily absorbed and used by the body)
The amount of drug that is bioavailable varies with
route of ingestion
Duration of a drug's effect is determined by
how it is metabolized
Routes of Drug Administration
Ingestion (liquids, pills, suppositories)
Inhalation (snorting/smoking)
Peripheral injection (into the veins, arm, etc)
central injection (into the central nervous system, ex-epidural)
Pharmacokinetics
factors that affect the movement of a drug through the body
blood-brain barrier
a filtering mechanism, tight junctions within the CNS that prevent the movement of large molecules
What can limit drug availability?
blood-brain barrier
Local anesthetics block
sodium channels (and therefore action potential)
Most drugs affect _____ transmission
synaptic
exogenous neuromodulator that blocks the effect of adenosine
Caffeine
adenosine
endogenous neuromodulator that inhibits catecholamine release
Caffeine stimulates
catecholamine release, causing arousal
Adenosine is normally released along with the catecholamines and acts on
autoreceptor
autoreceptors
receptors on the same terminal that released it
Presynaptic events can be modified by drugs that
Affect how long transmitters remain in the synapse (transmitter reuptake)
They interfere with transporters
Block transmitter degradation causing neurotransmitters to have lasting effects
transporters
specialized proteins that return the transmitter to the presynaptic membrane (e.g., cocaine)
degredation
breakdown of neurotransmitters
Cholinesterase inhibitors
inhibit the breakdown of ACh at the synapse by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), causing prolonged muscle contraction
Postsynaptic receptors can be directly _____ or _____ by drugs
blocked, activated
Antipsychotics
neuroleptics, class of drugs used to treat schizophrenia
Typical antipsychotics
selective dopamine D2 antagonists (reduce the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions and hallucinations)
Atypical antipsychotics
block some serotonin receptors and seem to reduce negative symptoms of schizophrenia (such as social withdrawal and blunted emotional responses)
Antidepressants
treat depression
Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors prevent
breakdown of monoamines at the synapses
Accumulating monoamines and prolonging their activity is a major feature of _____
antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressants increase
norepinephrine and serotonin at the synapses by blocking their reuptake into presynaptic axon terminals
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
like Prozac or Zoloft allow serotonin to accumulate in the synapses, with fewer side effects than tricyclics
Anxiolytics
tranquilizers, depressants
depressants are
drugs that reduce nervous system activity
Benzodiazepine agonists
act on GABAa receptors and enhance the inhibitory effects of GABA (ex- Barbiturates)
Benzodiazepines bind at an
orphan receptor (no known endogenous ligand)
Opium is extracted from
poppy seeds