What is the resting membrane potential of a neuron? Threshold potential?
resting: -90mV
threshold: -45mV
What is the principle effect of NMBAs?
to interrupt transmission of nerve impulses at the NMJ in order to optimize surgical conditions and augment patient safety
What types of channels and receptors are found in the membrane of the presynaptic nerve terminal?
Where are nicotinic ACh receptors located?
presynaptic and postsynaptic cell membranes
How and where is ACh synthesized?
how: acetyl-CoA and choline are catalyzed via choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)
where: cytoplasm
Describe the transportation of ACh throughout the cell:
transported from cytoplasm in synaptic vesicles (quanta) containing 1-50K molecules per vesicle. 5-10K ACh molecules are released per vesicle.
What prompts ACh quanta to fuse with the cell membrane?
What does release of ACh depend on?
Ca++ entry into the nerve terminal
How is the amount of ACh in the cell maintained?
positive feedback mechanism:
- ACh is released into the synaptic cleft
- ACh diffuses down conc. gradient from pre to postsynaptic cell
- presynaptic nicotinic ACh receptor responds to ACh by increasing synthesis and release
What type and how many subunits of the nicotinic ACh receptor must be activated before anything happens?
2 alpha subunits (5 subunits total) must be bound with 2 ACh molecules
Describe what happens when ACh is bound with a nicotinic ACh receptor:
How many postsynaptic nicotinic ACh receptors need to be occupied to generate an AP at the motor end plate?
250-500K of the 5 million postsynaptic receptors
What happens to ACh when it interacts with acetylcholinesterase?
Where are nicotinic receptors located (3 places) and what are they responsible for in each location?
1) presynaptically: when combined with ACh, further augment ACh release
2) postsynaptically: play a role in initiating depolarization OR blockade by NDMAs
3) extrajunctionally: structurally different from nicotinic receptors @ synapse; proliferate in response to paralysis, dystrophies, motor neuron injury, burns; stay open 4x longer and upregulate K+
Describe the nicotinic receptor at the NMJ:
What happens what Na+ and Ca++ enter the cell, and K+ exits the cell?
depolarization
Describe how ACh is made:
AcetylCoA and choline are combined via choline acetyltransferase to produce ACh
occurs in the presynaptic neuron
Where is ACh stored?
vesicles until the neuron fires/depolarizes
Where is acetylcholinesterase stored?
synaptic cleft
Give 4 names for AChE:
true cholinesterase
specific ‘’
genuine ‘’
type I ‘’
Depolarizing muscle relaxants act as ACh receptor (agonists/antagonists).
agonists
NDMAs act as ACh receptor (agonists/antagonists)
competitive antagonists
What medication is the only short acting depolarizing muscle relaxant?
succinylcholine
Name the long acting NDMRs:
pancuronium