Assessment Description:
Choose an illicit drug and explain the pharmacology of its action at a synapse.
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SOLUTION to BIO-201: Human Anatomy and Physiology I - Topic 5 DQ 1.
SAMPLE 1
Hello everyone,
Methamphetamine, an illegal stimulant, has a dramatic impact on the central nervous system, primarily through synaptic transmission. There are several ways that methamphetamine works at a synapse level, which are the following: Methamphetamine, when it reaches the brain, enhances the release of monoamine neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, through acting on the transporter proteins that are involved in the reuptake of these neurotransmitters. Tomášková et al. (2020) state that under normal conditions, these transporters, like dopamine transporter (DAT), or serotonin transporter (SERT), repost the neurotransmitters back to the presynaptic neuron from the synaptic cleft. Methamphetamine alters this process and makes these transporters function oppositely, pumping neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.
Furthermore, methamphetamine reduces the activity of monoamine oxidase, which is an enzyme that is involved in the breakdown of excess neurotransmitters. This inhibition enhances the accumulation of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the synaptic cleft. The increase in the concentration of these neurotransmitters prolongs and improves the signaling process at the postsynaptic receptors, which contributes to the specific effects of the drug, like increased wakefulness, energy, feelings of pleasure, and decreased appetite. Specifically, the amount of dopamine released in the brain is critical to its addictive qualities. The neurotransmitter most involved in the brain’s reward system is dopamine, and Methamphetamine produces a robust increase in dopamine levels that leads to strong feelings of pleasure and reward.
Notably, Hamor et al. (2023) state that the long-term use of methamphetamine results in neuroadaptations, which include down-regulation of receptors, especially the dopamine receptors, and a reduction in dopamine levels in the body. Such modifications can lead to the development of tolerance, whereby a larger quantity of the substance is needed to produce the same effects, and dependence, and the lack of the substance causes withdrawal symptoms. Long-term effects of methamphetamine include the disruption in the dopaminergic pathway in the brain, resulting in impaired cognitive ability, mood changes, and vulnerability to neurodegenerative disorders. Knowing how methamphetamine works at the synapse of nerve cells is useful for comprehending the strength of its impact, and the highly damaging effects of this substance.
References
Hámor, P. U., Knackstedt, L. A., & Schwendt, M. (2023). The role of metabotropic glutamate receptors in neurobehavioral effects associated with methamphetamine use. International Review of Neurobiology, 168, 177-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irn.2022.10.005
Tomášková, A., Šlamberová, R., & Černá, M. (2020). Influence of prenatal methamphetamine abuse on the brain. Epigenomes, 4(3), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/epigenomes4030014