PHAR 300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Structural Change, Cytochrome P450, Cardiac Arrhythmia

• School: McGill University
• Department: Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Course: PHAR 300
• Professor: Edith Zorychta

Document Summary

Phar 300 lecture 8 cns stimulants; cocaine. Cns stimulants: alcohol is a cns depressant. The main drug is cocaine or crack (the common smoking form). Crystal meth and ecstasy are also commonly sold: cocaine acts in two places on neurotransmitters: The nerve impulses coming down the neuron (axon). The reuptake pump (of neurotransmitters) on the presynaptic terminal. The reuptake of serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline are all affected. This increases the level of these transmitters in the synapse, so that they can act for longer and more post-synaptic receptors will be continuously stimulated. History: cocaine comes from the plant native of south america, the natives chewed the leaves to suppress appetite, because there was usually a lack of food. In 1884, ability to block neural (axonal) transmission was discovered used as local anaesthetic during eye surgeries. Sold for: toothaches, or as a remedy for alcohol and opium addiction. Coca-cola originally contained cocaine (coca) and caffeine (cola).