THE CREATIVE SPARK

Parkinson's is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. It is named after an English physician who first recorded it in with a detailed description in 1817, named James Parkinson. The risk factors for Parkinson's - Age, Genetic history, Male gender, shyness, depression, any environmental exposure like herbicides, or magnesium and iron exposure, etc. Classification of Parkinson's -  1. Classical - Genetic, sporadic, Lewy body with dementia 2. Atypical - Multiple system atrophy, Cerebellar type,  corticobasal ganglionic degeneration, frontotemporal dementia 3. Secondary Parkinson - Drug induced, tumor associated, liver failure, Normal pressure hydrocephalus, toxins like Carbon monoxide poisoning, cyanide poisoning, etc. How it is caused? Parkinson is a disease which is mainly involved with the BASAL GANGLIA of the brain. Basal Ganglia consist of - Globus pallidus - external and internal Thalamus Subthalamic nuclei Caudate nucleus Putamen Substantia nigra These struct...

Ligand Gated Receptors - Fastest Acting Receptors. Examples of Ligand Gated Receptors - GABA - A, Glutamate receptors ( NMDA, AMPA, Kainate), Serotonin (5HT3), Nicotinic receptors. Nicotinic Receptors - Pentameric Structure.  Has 2 alpha subunits which acts as a binding site for ACh (Acetylcholine), rest are beta, gamma, delta or epsilon units. The binding of the ACh causes opening of the Sodium channels causing a chain of events. Thus Nicotinic receptors are Ligand gated coupled with sodium channel receptors. Enzyme linked receptors -   Enzyme inside the cell is linked with the receptor present on the outside. Examples - Tyrosine Kinase Receptor, Janus Kinase receptor, cGMP receptor, Serine/Threonine Receptor. Tyrosine Kinase receptor is seen with - VEGF receptors (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor)                                                   ...

For a drug to give effect, it needs to interact with certain objects that will cause a sequence of reactions that will give the desired effect.  These things that they react with are called as RECEPTORS. The drug can have either of the actions -  1. Full agonist 2. Full antagonist 3. Partial agonists 4. Inverse agonists Full agonists have maximum effect.  Antagonists have zero effect. Partial agonists give sub-maximal or moderate effect. Inverse agonists give the opposite effect. If the drugs having a Full agonistic activity is given with a drug of partial agonistic activity, the partial agonist behaves as a antagonists decreasing the net effect. Types of antagonisms -  1. Pharmacokinetic - one drug inhibiting the effect of other one. Example Rifampicin and Oral Contraceptive pills. 2. Chemical - Chemical reactions of drugs of opposite charges that neutralise the effects. Example; Heparin (-ve) and protamine sulphate (+ve). 3. Physiological - 2 different drugs acting...