Serotonin transporter

Anxiety is a behavioral response triggered by: stress, fear of outcomes, or apprehension of an imminent event. Symptoms of this response usually include a feeling of nervousness, unease, or worry-some tendencies. Due to the key component of anxiety being stress, there is a state of mental strain among the individuals or organisms enduring this response. In years past, scientists have observed and concluded findings of anxiety-like behaviors in humans and different vertebrae species. For the…

example, if we feel fear we are able to react to the oncoming danger. Chemicals dictate most of what we do and is how the brain communicates with itself, and is very complex, but in the case of emotions we will focus on a couple of main chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. First we will do a brief overview of how these neurotransmitters work and then we will look into the composure of…

Introduction Volatile inhaled anesthetics are commonly used for general anesthesia worldwide because of their fast action and easy management. However, there is accumulating evidence indicating that general anesthetics that activate gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) receptors induce widespread apoptosis at a clinically relevant concentration in the developing brain of rodents [1, 2, 3]. Furthermore, anesthetic administration in children causes long-term impairments of cognitive behavior later in…

Stigmas almost always carry negative, life changing effects. In regards to mental illness, the stigma that surrounds it can prevent an individual from living their life the way it deserves to be lived, and from seeking the treatment that could potentially help these individuals suffering from mental illness in huge, positive ways. Recent studies have shed a light on a person’s own self-stigma may have worse effects than the stigma that they would face out in society. The media gives off an often…

According to Webster Dictionary, ecstasy is defined as “an illegal drug that is used to produce a feeling of excitement and pleasure” Ecstasy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecstasy. As with all drugs, ecstasy was produced to treat one symptom and evolved to affect another part of the brain. This research will address: what is ecstasy, how does ecstasy work, the short and long-term effects from using ecstasy, users of the drug, and prevention…

Importance of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors as a Drug Target Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are found in humans’ central nervous system and play a major role in the peripheral nervous system, including acting as a neuronal communication channel; available at the skeleton muscle and receives acetylcholine purposely released to transmission for contraction of muscles. Additionally, they are responsible for the conversion of neurotransmitter bindings into electronic depolarization. Here, the…

to man. The Bwiti cult in Africa has been using Iboga as the central practice of their religion for hundreds and thousands of years. Ibogaine is the tryptamine molecule that is primarily responsible for Iboga's effect. Ibogaine similar to serotonin, but with a methyl molecule where the hydroxy group would be, and a more complex toluene structure with an ethyl group coming off. Ibogaine acts on almost all receptors in the brain, but primarily the…

Transporter proteins comprise 5% of all human drug targets. This category encompasses the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family, ATPases, and the solute carrier (SLC) family. SLC6 is the most exploited family among all transporters (55%), with approximately 42 drugs currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Figure 4.9a)76. Currently, around 60 clinical trials are in progress for drugs that specifically target SLC6 family members, mainly for analgesia, psychiatric…

Background and Significance What is Social Anxiety Disorder? Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is one of the most common health disorder after depression and substance abuse and affects about 10 million Americans. This phobia is an anxiety disorder and individuals with this disorder experience intense distress in public settings. These individuals experience high levels of panic in seemingly “normal” social situations1. These social situations include public speaking,…

metabolism with serotonin, melatonin and tryptophan. 5HTP has been used over the counter for relief of minor and major depression since the late 1970 's especially in Europe. 5-HTP is the main precursor in the brain for the portion of Serotonin. The main studies that have shown the importance of this nuero transmitter have been related to treating dysphoria after use of the street drug extract or MDMA. Significant studies in rats showed that increasing dietary 5-HTP helped increase serotonin…