• Mimics of Acetylcholine • Diseases Associated with Acetylcholine • Discovered in 1921 by an Austrian scientist • Major neurotransmitter in the peripheral nervous system • Produced by the neurons in the parietal lobes of the brain • Associated with thought, memory, and muscular coordination • Associated with the speed of information processing in the brain and the production of myelin sheath • Chemical structure: CH3 O | || H3C—N+—CH2— CH2—O—C— CH3 | CH3 • Acetylcholine (ACh) first isolated around 1914. • In 1921 the functional significance of ACh was established by the German physiologist Otto Loewi. • ACh is composed of an ester of choline and acetic acid. • The neurotransmitter ACh is stored in vesicles in the nerve endings. • When a nerve impulse arrives at a nerve ending, ACh is released and it binds with receptors on muscle cells to make them contract or relax. • ACh is responsible for motor control at the junction between nerves and muscles. • It is the receptor that determines whether or not the muscle cell is stimulated or inhibited. • ACh may either stimulate skeletal muscles or decrease heart rate. • In addition to having effect on motor control, ACh influences mental processes such as learning, memory, sleeping, and dreaming. • Curare- a toxin used in the arrows of South American natives which binds to ACh receptor sites. This causes paralysis by interfering with transmition of nerve impulses. Muscles with more nerves tend to be affected first. • Curare is also used in small amounts as anesthetic for abdominal surgery. • Nicotine- A mimic of ACh. Current research shows that nicotine may be helpful to treat neurodegenerative disorders. • Alzheimer’s Disease- the most common form of dementia that is associated with acetylcholine. • It was first discovered in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer. • It is a progressive, degenerative and irreversible neurological disease with no cure. • AD tends to run in families due to certain genes. • Symptoms can be seen as early as the age of 40, but are more frequent around the age 65. • The following symptoms are often associated with the disease: frequent memory loss, impaired thinking, impaired behavior, and difficulty in grasping or in expressing thought. • In early stages of AD, Ach producing cells in the basal forebrain are damaged. • The most striking symptom of AD is the loss of memory. This is due to decline in neurons in the cortex. • Although, accumulation of the protein amyloid in the brain is suspected to play a role. • progressive damage to brain cells • Other diseases that have been associated with acetylcholine are bipolar disorder, mood swings and depression. Symptoms There are 10 classic warning signs : 1. memory loss. 2. difficulty performing familiar tasks. 3. problems with language. 4. disorientation to time and place. 5. poor or decreased judgment. 6. problems with abstract thinking. 7. misplacing things. 8. changes in mood or behavior. 9. changes in personality. 10. and loss of initiative. Stages 1. Pre-dementia 2. Early 3. Moderate 4. Advanced statistics • Generally, it is diagnosed in people over 65 years of age, although the lessprevalent early onset of Alzheimer’s can occur much earlier. • In 2006, there were 26.6 million sufferers worldwide. • Alzheimer’s is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people globally by 2050