PAC3351 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Mesolimbic Pathway, Nucleus Accumbens, Naltrexone

• School: Monash University
• Department: Pharmacy
• Course: PAC3351
• Professor: Dr. Phillip John Bergen

Document Summary

Works by inhibiting nmda r (normally have excitatory effects when activated by glu), therefore, alcohol reduces hyperpolarity -> don"t get activation of ap -> less nt released. Also binds to gaba (a subunit) r as an allosteric modulator -> more gaba binds, increasing chance of binding, hyperpolarising neuronal cell body -> decreasing chance of ap -> less nt released. Mesolimbic pathway da in the ventral tegmental area (vta) project to nucleus accumbens (nac) When da neurons stimulated -> release of da into synapse. Depolarises neurons responsible for movement, goal-motivated and reward-orientated behaviours. Alcohol works in this pathway by inhibiting nmda r and removing the inhibition of dopaminergic neurons in the. Vta by inhibiting gaba (normally stops release of da into nac) So da neuron can be depolarised, leading to ap, then da released into synapse. Physical dep of alcohol -> inhibition of nmda r leads to upreg. of nmda (more for alcohol to bind to, therefore, rebound hyperexcitability in relapse)