Posted by Cam W. on June 26, 2002, at 4:19:31
In reply to MORE HELP WITH TERMINOLOGY PLEASE, posted by DiscoPuppy on June 26, 2002, at 3:02:45
An antagonist is a receptor blocker. Antagonists usually block, or at least dampen, electrical flow from one nerve cell to the nest.
The antagonist molecule binds to a certain neurotransmitter receptor (eg. dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine) and blocks (inhibits) the appropriate neurotransmitter from binding to it's receptor.
If the neurotransmitter, which is released into the synaptic gap between 2 nerve cells, is not able to pass the electrical signal along nerves, thus decreasing the number and severity symptoms due to an excess of that neurotransmitter.
For example; dopamine antagonist usually refers to a "Dopamine-type2-receptor blocker". Examples of these are the traditional antipsychotics like Largactil™ (chlorpromazine); Mellaril™/Thorazine™ (thioridazine); Haldol™ (haloperidol), and the newer mood-stabilizing antipsychotics like Risperdal™ (riperidone); Zyprexa™ (olanzapine); Clozaril™ (clozapine), and the rest.
Psychoses is thought to be caused by a faulty, perhaps oversensitive &/or overactive, dopamine system. By blocking dopamine-D2-receptors, the overactive dopamine signal is muted, and there is, hopefully, a corresponding drop in the symptoms of psychosis.
I hope that this is of some help. - Cam
> what is an "antagonist" (as in "dopamine antagonist") and is it easy to explain in everyday language?
>
> -puppy-
poster:Cam W.
thread:110787
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020617/msgs/110790.html