Neuropharmacology Exam 2
Guide
Introduction to
Neuropharmacology
(Creighton University)
,NEUROPHARMACOLOGY EXAM 2 QUIZLET ○ COMT
PRACTICE ○ MAOI - prolongs dopamine release by inhibiting
https://quizlet.com/_84ehnb?x=1jqt&i=1cffge MAO
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 7: Widely Projecting ○ Selegiline
Systems Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84epw8?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 8: Introduction to the
Nervous System Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84evvi?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 8: Cholinoceptor-
Activating and Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Drugs Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84f2c1?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 8: Adrenoreceptor Drugs
Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84f3vf?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 9: Neuropeptides
Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84h38z?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 10: Neurotrophins
Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84haaj?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Pain and Inflammation Flashcards
CHAPTER 7 - WIDELY PROJECTING SYSTEMS
Monoamines
● Catecholamines
○ Dopamine
○ Norepinephrine
○ Epinephrine
● Indolamines
○ Serotoni
n Monoamine transporters
● 12 transmembrane regions. It’s large, compared to
○ GPCR - 4
○ NMDA and AMPA - 6
○ Sodium - 6
● The big loop is the
regulator Intro to
Catecholamines
● Dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine
● They all start from the same chemical pathway
○ Start as tyrosine
● These shut down dopamine synthesis reactions
○ Monoamine oxidase (MAO)
○ catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)
Catecholamine synthesis
● Starts as tyrosine
● There’s a hydroxylase and then a decarboxylase
● *** tyrosine → L-Dopa → dopamine →
norepinephrine → epinephrine
Phenylketonuria (PKU)
● Phenylketonuria - mutation in the enzyme that
makes tyrosine (phenylalanine hydroxylase) →
mental retardation
● Phenylalanine accumulates
● Gotta remove Phe from
diet Degradation of
catecholamines
● Reuptake
● Repackaging dopamine into vesicles
● These enzymes are intracellularly present
○ MAO (monoamine oxidase)
, ○ When you give L-dopa, you need to also give ○ Projects to thalamus
an inhibitor for these enzymes so they don’t ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
degrade it all ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dopamine receptors - 5 types
● Gs -- stimulates adenylyl cyclase
○ Dopamine receptors 1 and 5
○ Have longer intracellular loop
● Gi -- inhibits adenylyl cyclase
○ Dopamine receptors 2, 3, 4
○ Have longer C-terminal
● Gq -- stimulates phospholipase C
● Dopamine receptors are targets for antipsychotics
● Two subtypes of dopamine receptor
○ D-1 receptors (short i3, long C-terminal)
○ D-2 receptors (long i3, short C-terminal)
● Downregulation of receptors
○ If receptors are overstimulated → surface
receptors are endocytosed (and can be
recycled)
○ Mainly seen in GPCRs)
● Upregulation of receptors
○ If antagonists are
administered Widely Projecting Systems
● There are excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the brain
that work together
○ BUT some areas are more excitatory or more
inhibitory
○ Cerebellum -- purkinje cells → mostly inhibitory
○ Striatum -- part of basal ganglia →
exclusively inhibitory
Dopamine projections
● Dopaminergic neurons
○ Produce dopamine
○ Start from lower part of brain
○ Project to
■ Nucleus accumbens
■ Frontal cortex
■ Striatum
■ Hypothalamus
1. Mesolimbic projection
○ Part of limbic system, involved in:
■ Reward system
■ Drug addiction
○ Increase dopamine levels
○ Start from ventral tegmental area
○ Project to nucleus accumbens
2. Nigrostriatal projection
○ Important for motor function and movement
■ D1 receptors - increase movement
■ D2 receptors - decrease movement
○ Start from substantia nigra
○ Project to striatum (in basal ganglia)
3. Mesocortical projection
○ Mediate cognitive functions
○ Start from ventral tegmental area
○ Project to
■ Nucleus accumbens
■ Frontal cortex
4. Tuberohypophyseal projection
○ Release of dopamine inhibits prolactin secretion
○ Start from hypothalamus
○ Project to anterior pituitary gland
● The function of the last projection is not well-known
○ Starts from
■ Periaqueductal gray
■ Central mesencephalon
■ Hypothalamic nuclei
■ Lateral parabrachial nucleus
Guide
Introduction to
Neuropharmacology
(Creighton University)
,NEUROPHARMACOLOGY EXAM 2 QUIZLET ○ COMT
PRACTICE ○ MAOI - prolongs dopamine release by inhibiting
https://quizlet.com/_84ehnb?x=1jqt&i=1cffge MAO
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 7: Widely Projecting ○ Selegiline
Systems Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84epw8?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 8: Introduction to the
Nervous System Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84evvi?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 8: Cholinoceptor-
Activating and Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Drugs Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84f2c1?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 8: Adrenoreceptor Drugs
Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84f3vf?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 9: Neuropeptides
Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84h38z?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Chapter 10: Neurotrophins
Flashcards
https://quizlet.com/_84haaj?x=1jqt&i=1cffge
Neuropharmacology Exam 2 - Pain and Inflammation Flashcards
CHAPTER 7 - WIDELY PROJECTING SYSTEMS
Monoamines
● Catecholamines
○ Dopamine
○ Norepinephrine
○ Epinephrine
● Indolamines
○ Serotoni
n Monoamine transporters
● 12 transmembrane regions. It’s large, compared to
○ GPCR - 4
○ NMDA and AMPA - 6
○ Sodium - 6
● The big loop is the
regulator Intro to
Catecholamines
● Dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine
● They all start from the same chemical pathway
○ Start as tyrosine
● These shut down dopamine synthesis reactions
○ Monoamine oxidase (MAO)
○ catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)
Catecholamine synthesis
● Starts as tyrosine
● There’s a hydroxylase and then a decarboxylase
● *** tyrosine → L-Dopa → dopamine →
norepinephrine → epinephrine
Phenylketonuria (PKU)
● Phenylketonuria - mutation in the enzyme that
makes tyrosine (phenylalanine hydroxylase) →
mental retardation
● Phenylalanine accumulates
● Gotta remove Phe from
diet Degradation of
catecholamines
● Reuptake
● Repackaging dopamine into vesicles
● These enzymes are intracellularly present
○ MAO (monoamine oxidase)
, ○ When you give L-dopa, you need to also give ○ Projects to thalamus
an inhibitor for these enzymes so they don’t ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
degrade it all ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dopamine receptors - 5 types
● Gs -- stimulates adenylyl cyclase
○ Dopamine receptors 1 and 5
○ Have longer intracellular loop
● Gi -- inhibits adenylyl cyclase
○ Dopamine receptors 2, 3, 4
○ Have longer C-terminal
● Gq -- stimulates phospholipase C
● Dopamine receptors are targets for antipsychotics
● Two subtypes of dopamine receptor
○ D-1 receptors (short i3, long C-terminal)
○ D-2 receptors (long i3, short C-terminal)
● Downregulation of receptors
○ If receptors are overstimulated → surface
receptors are endocytosed (and can be
recycled)
○ Mainly seen in GPCRs)
● Upregulation of receptors
○ If antagonists are
administered Widely Projecting Systems
● There are excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the brain
that work together
○ BUT some areas are more excitatory or more
inhibitory
○ Cerebellum -- purkinje cells → mostly inhibitory
○ Striatum -- part of basal ganglia →
exclusively inhibitory
Dopamine projections
● Dopaminergic neurons
○ Produce dopamine
○ Start from lower part of brain
○ Project to
■ Nucleus accumbens
■ Frontal cortex
■ Striatum
■ Hypothalamus
1. Mesolimbic projection
○ Part of limbic system, involved in:
■ Reward system
■ Drug addiction
○ Increase dopamine levels
○ Start from ventral tegmental area
○ Project to nucleus accumbens
2. Nigrostriatal projection
○ Important for motor function and movement
■ D1 receptors - increase movement
■ D2 receptors - decrease movement
○ Start from substantia nigra
○ Project to striatum (in basal ganglia)
3. Mesocortical projection
○ Mediate cognitive functions
○ Start from ventral tegmental area
○ Project to
■ Nucleus accumbens
■ Frontal cortex
4. Tuberohypophyseal projection
○ Release of dopamine inhibits prolactin secretion
○ Start from hypothalamus
○ Project to anterior pituitary gland
● The function of the last projection is not well-known
○ Starts from
■ Periaqueductal gray
■ Central mesencephalon
■ Hypothalamic nuclei
■ Lateral parabrachial nucleus