| Drug |
Conversions - VERY
IMPORTANT!
|
Notes/Description
|
| Endorphin |
Conversions: Not
Applicable (too complex)
|
- Relieves Pain
- Responsible for
"Joggers High"
Develops about 12 minutes
before the endorphins are
released
- Related to Opium
- Related to heroin
Released by body in
stressful/painful
situations
|
| Acetylcholine |
Conversions:
(Note: Vitamin
B5 makes up part of
Acetyl CoA)
Acetyl CoA+ Choline à Acetylcholine
|
- Important in memory
- Primary
Neurotransmitter in the hippocampus
- Transmitter at the
neuromuscular junction
- Curare (a dart
poison) blocks
Acetylcholine
- May aid in Memory
storage
- Nootropic Drugs
– drugs that
increase learning and
memory (are often
acetylcholine agonists)
|
| Dopamine |
Conversions:
Phenylalanine à Tyrosine à
L-dopa à Dopamine
|
- Too little in
Parkinson Disease and
Tardive Dyskinesia
- Cocaine is a dopamine
agonist
- L-dopa
– is administered to
patients with
Parkinson’s disease,
L-dopa is very easily
converted to dopamine.
|
| Norepinephrine |
Conversions:
Phenylalanine à Tyrosine à
L-dopa à Dopamine à
Norepinephrine
|
- Increases
Alertness
- There
is too little in
depression
|
| Serotonin |
Conversions:
Tryptophan à Serotonin
|
- Controls
sleep onset
- There
is too little in
depression
- Affected
by the prescription drugs
Prozac and Zoloft –
these are Serotonin
agonists – allowing
for Serotonin to work
better.
- Also
involved in our response
to stress… more
Serotonin higher ability
to deal with stress.
|
| GABA (Gama
Amino Buteric Acid) |
Conversions:
Not Applicable (too
complex)
|
- Acts
as a tranquilizer
(generally inhibitory)
- GABA
is available as a free
form amino-acid
- Valerian
Root is a
GABA agonist
- Prescription
tranquilizers are GABA
agonists as well (eg.
Benzodiazapines)
|
