SC150 Exam 3

Where are CB1 receptors located?

The receptors are concentrated in the brain and central nervous system but also sparsely populates other parts of the human body

Where are CB2 receptors located?

mostly in the peripheral organs especially cells associated with the immune system

What does an antagonist do?

shuts a receptor down. Stops it from working

What does an agonist do?

makes a receptor work better than it ever did (positive direction)

What does an inverse agonist?

shuts a receptor down then goes the other way. Essentially digging a negative hole (negative direction)

What are the medical uses of marijuana?

a.     Used to help with pain of surgery in ancient China

b.    Vikings and medieval Germans used it for relieving pain from childbirth or toothaches

What is BMI?  Why is It an inexact science?

A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person’s weight (in kilo) divided by the square of his or her height (in meters). It is scientifically nonsensical, physiologically wrong, gets the logic wrong, bad statistics

How is CB1 involved?

a.     It can be activated by cannabinoids (cannabis) or endocannabinoids (found naturally in the body)

b.    Endocannabinoids are fatty acids found naturally in the brain and periphery that help mediate pain signaling

What is Orlistat?  How does it work?

Orlistat is a drug that was marketed under the name Xenical. It works by preventing the absorption of fats in the body

What is Qsymia?  What are its two major components? 

Qsymia was originally developed as an off-label use of two known drugs for weight loss. Dr. Thomas Najarian began using a combo of two old drugs, phenteramine and topiramate at his weight loss clinic in California

 What are surgical methods for weight loss?

VBG, gastric banding, and liposuction

How effective are the surgical methods?

Not very effective at all

Why is liposuction a bad idea?

It’s just a quick fix, will not change eating habits

Cocaine and its history and use

It is extracted from the coca lead which grows rapidly in South America. It is one of the most widely abused drugs. Native Peruvians would often chew coca leaves during religious ceremonies. Drug was first isolated by Alfred Neimann

Who used cocaine?  How did it get popular?

It was prescribed for people with anxiety from Sigmund Freud. Major boost in 1886 when John Pemberton developed a soft drink with cocaine present. This soft drink is known as Coca-Cola. People used it to stay awake and alert.

LSD history – What was it used for?  How does it work?

Was thought to help with psychiatric uses. It causes blurred vision, decreased appetite, vivid color recognition, and wakefulness

MDMA – Long term risks?

Brain lesions, memory loss, antidiuretic action

Xanax – What is it?  How is used illegally?

Belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. Commonly prescribed for anxiety and social anxiety disorder. Used illegally to help come down from a bad trip on LSD or shrooms

Shrooms – What are they?  Are they found in only type of mushroom?

Touted by Dr. Timothy Leary as a drug capable of providing a level of transcendence. Found in roughly 200 types of mushrooms

What is Adderall?  What is it made up of?

It is a 75/25 mixture of the two enantiomers of amphetamine. It is made up of the enantiomers of amphetamine. Works by increasing the activity of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain

What is Rimonabant?

a.     the first CB1 receptor blocker on the market in Europe

b.    A potential blockbuster treatment for Obesity

How does cannabis help people with glaucoma?

Glaucoma can cause severe headaches and damage to optic nerve and cannabis is extremely effective at alleviating the pressure within the eye intraocular pressure

What is the legality of cannabis?

a.     NJ made recreational marijuana legal in 2021 and decriminalized it

b.    Illegal at federal level, decriminalized in 27 states and the district of Columbia

c.     19 states fully legal

d.    Legal medically in 37 states

Difference between crack and cocaine?

a.     Crack- processed with baking soda to make a smokable form of cocaine

b.    Cocaine- snort through nose

What is fentanyl?

An opioid that has a rapid onset of action

Oxycontin?

Known as hillbilly heroin, abusers would crush up the pills and snort for a high comparable to heroin

Oxycodone?

An opioid about 1.5 times more potent than morphine. Was formulated in an extended release pill in 1996

Source of aspirin?

Made from salicylic acid derived from the willow tree (natural product)

Risks with aspirin?

Health issues due to GI issues. Stomach ulcers, bleeding and worsening asthma. Particularly high risk for bleeding when drinking alcohol

Positive health effects of aspirin?

Used to treat fever, headaches, and inflammation. Given after a heart attack to help thin blood