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Neurotransmitters and Their Receptors—State of the Art

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Frontiers in Pharmacology of Neurotransmitters

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Abstract

Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemical messengers that are responsible for neuronal communication throughout the body. These compounds serve to facilitate various functions controlled by the central nervous system via a process known as chemical synaptic transmission. The discovery of various types of neurotransmitters has taken place over the past years where the neurotransmitters have been classified based on their chemical, functional, and molecular properties along with their location in the body. This chapter highlights all the important neurotransmitters including GABA and glycine, glutamate, melatonin, histamine, serotonin, acetylcholine along with other neurotransmitters, taking into account their synthesis, release, mechanism of action, and metabolism. This chapter also briefly discusses the physiological roles of these neurotransmitters and their contribution in different pathological conditions, in addition to the therapeutic effects of their agonists/antagonists.

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Abbreviations

5-HIAA:

5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid

5-HT:

5-Hydroxytryptamine

Ach:

Acetylcholine

AchE:

Acetylcholinesterase

AD:

Alzheimer’s disease

BuchE:

Butyrylcholinesterase

cAMP:

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate

CBD:

Cannabidiol

CNS:

Central nervous system

DAO:

Diamine oxidase

ECs:

Endogenous cannabinoids

EOPs:

Endogenous opioid peptides

GABA:

γ-Aminobutyric acid

GPCRs:

G-protein-coupled receptors

HDC:

L-histidine decarboxylase

HNMT:

Histamine N-methyltransferase

KO:

Knockout

MAO- A:

Monoamine oxidase A

NO:

Nitric oxide

NOP:

Nociceptin opioid receptor

NOS:

Nitric oxide synthase

PKG:

Protein kinase G

PNS:

Peripheral nervous system

TCA:

Tricarboxylic acid

THC:

Tetrahydrocannabinol

VGAT:

Vesicular GABA transporter

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India

    Puneet Kumar

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, Punjab, India

    Puneet Kumar

  3. Faculty of Pharmacy, Philadelphia University, Amman, Jordan

    Sara Nidal Abed, Yazan A. Bataineh & Mutaz Sheikh Salem

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  1. Puneet Kumar
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  2. Sara Nidal Abed
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  3. Yazan A. Bataineh
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  4. Mutaz Sheikh Salem
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab, India

    Puneet Kumar

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty of Pharmacy, Philadelphia University, Amman, Jordan

    Pran Kishore Deb

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Kumar, P., Abed, S.N., Bataineh, Y.A., Salem, M.S. (2020). Neurotransmitters and Their Receptors—State of the Art. In: Kumar, P., Deb, P.K. (eds) Frontiers in Pharmacology of Neurotransmitters. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3556-7_1

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