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Neurotransmitter Dopamine (neurotransmitter + dopamine)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Life Sciences60%

Selected Abstracts

Could a common biochemical mechanism underlie addictions?

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 1 2000
C. Betz
The subject of ,drug addiction' is multifaceted and many aspects of it (even some of the definitions) are controversial. Collateral medical problems include the spread of HIV and hepatitis C virus secondary to i.v. drug abuse and effects on prenatal brain development ( 1). Progress in the understanding of the causes of addictions and its treatment has been impeded by the lack of a unifying biochemical theory. However, recent evidence suggests that some common mechanism might underlie addictions to otherwise apparently unrelated drugs. A major hypothesis has emerged suggesting that the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) might play a central role in the molecular mechanisms of at least some addictions. If so, it would represent an important target for discovery of effective pharmacotherapy and revolutionize the pharmacist's role in treating addictions. This short overview outlines the status of the theory of a common biochemical mechanism of drug addiction. [source]

Modifications of the iron,neuromelanin system in Parkinson's disease

JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2006
Mauro Fasano
Abstract Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder with a mainly sporadic aetiology, although a number of monogenic familiar forms are known. Most of the motor symptoms are due to selective depletion of dopaminergic, neuromelanin-containing neurones of the substantia nigra pars compacta. Neuromelanin is the dark insoluble macromolecule that confers the black (substantia nigra) or grey (locus coeruleus) colour to monoaminergic basal ganglia. In particular, nigral neurones are pigmented because of the accumulation of by-products of oxidative metabolism of the neurotransmitter dopamine. The occurrence of dopamine (and all the enzymatic machinery required for dopamine synthesis, re-uptake and disposal) and neuromelanin, and a large amount of iron ions that interact with them, makes dopaminergic nigral neurones peculiarly susceptible to oxidative stress conditions that, in turn, may become amplified by the iron,neuromelanin system itself. In this mini-review we describe biophysical evidence for iron,neuromelanin modifications that support this hypothesis. Furthermore, we discuss the formation of the covalent linkage between ,-synuclein and neuromelanin from the early stages of the disease. [source]

Modulation of perch connexin35 hemi-channels by cyclic AMP requires a protein kinase A phosphorylation site

JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 2 2003
Georgia Mitropoulou
Abstract Retinal neurons are coupled via gap junctions, which function as electrical synapses that are gated by ambient light conditions. Gap junctions connecting either horizontal cells or AII amacrine cells are inhibited by the neurotransmitter dopamine, via the activation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway. Fish connexin35 (Cx35) and its mouse ortholog, Cx36, are good candidates to undergo dopaminergic modulation, because they have been detected in the inner plexiform layer of the retina, where Type II amacrine cells establish synaptic contacts. We have taken advantage of the ability of certain connexins to form functional connexons (hemi-channels), when expressed in Xenopus oocytes, to investigate whether pharmacological elevation of cAMP modulates voltage-activated hemi-channel currents in single oocytes. Injection of perch Cx35 RNA into Xenopus oocytes induced outward voltage-dependent currents that were recorded at positive membrane potentials. Incubation of oocytes with 8-bromoadenosine 3,,5,-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP), a membrane permeable cAMP analog, resulted in a dose-dependent and reversible inhibition of hemi-channel currents at the more positive voltage steps. In contrast, treatment with 8-Br-cAMP did not have any effect on hemi-channel currents induced by skate Cx35. Amino acid sequence comparison of the two fish connexins revealed, in the middle cytoplasmic loop of perch Cx35, the presence of a PKA consensus sequence that was absent in the skate connexin. The results obtained with two constructs in which the putative PKA phosphorylation site was either suppressed (perch Cx35R108Q) or introduced (skate Cx35Q108R) indicate that it is responsible for the inhibition of hemi-channel currents. These studies demonstrate that perch Cx35 is a target of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway and identify a consensus PKA phosphorylation site that is required for channel gating. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Vitamin B2 -sensitized Photo-oxidation of Dopamine

PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
Walter A. Massad
Kinetics and mechanism of the photo-oxidation of the natural catecholamine-type neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) has been studied in aqueous solution, under aerobic conditions, in the presence of riboflavin (Rf, vitamin B2) as a photosensitizer. Results indicate the formation of a weak dark complex Rf,DA, with a mean apparent association constant Kass = 30 m,1, only detectable at DA concentrations much higher than those employed in photochemical experiments. An intricate mechanism of competitive reactions operates upon photoirradiation. DA quenches excited singlet and triplet states of Rf, with rate constants of 4.2 × 109 and 2.2 × 109 m,1 s,1, respectively. With the catecholamine in a concentration similar to that of dissolved molecular oxygen in air-saturated water, DA and oxygen competitively quench the triplet excited state of Rf, generating superoxide radical anion (O2,,) and singlet molecular oxygen (O2(1,g)) by processes initiated by electron and energy-transfer mechanisms, respectively. Rate constants values of 1.9 × 108 and 6.6 × 106 m,1 s,1 have been obtained for the overall and reactive (chemical) interaction of DA with O2(1,g). The presence of superoxide dismutase increases both the observed rates of aerobic DA photo-oxidation and oxygen uptake, due to its known catalytic scavenging of O2,,, a species that could revert the overall photo-oxidation effect, according to the proposed reaction mechanism. As in most of the catecholamine oxidative processes described in the literature, aminochrome is the DA oxidation product upon visible light irradiation in the presence of Rf. It is generated with a quantum yield of 0.05. [source]

Amperometric Detection of Catecholamine Neurotransmitters Using Electrocatalytic Substrate Recycling at a Laccase Electrode

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 2 2005
Yvonne Ferry
Abstract An enzyme electrode based on the coimmobilization of an osmium redox polymer and laccase on glassy carbon electrodes has been applied to ultra sensitive amperometric detection of the catecholamine neurotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine, resulting in nanomolar detection limits, as low as 4,nM for dopamine. The sensitivity of the electrode is due to signal amplification via oxidation of the catecholamine by the immobilized laccase, which is regenerated by concomitant reduction of oxygen to water, coupled to the electrocatalytic re-reduction of the oxidized catecholamine by the osmium redox complex: electrocatalytic substrate recycling. In addition because the sensor can be operated in reductive mode at ,0.2,V (vs. Ag/AgCl), noise and interferences are diminished. Combined with its high sensitivity this enzyme electrode also exhibited excellent selectivity allowing the detection of catecholamines in the presence of ascorbic acid. However, differentiation between the current responses achieved for the three catecholamines is not possible. The effective mode of constant recycling, resulting in amplification of the current response, of the laccase enzyme electrode sensor combined with the inherent advantages of using electrochemical techniques holds great promise for the future of catecholamine detection and monitoring. [source]