Alprazolam (Xanax) and The Nervous

System
Elizabeth Gutierrez, Hazirah Rapidi, Madison Grotto,
Haley Singer, and Skylar Pieper
Anxiety Disorder
❏ Affects around 40 million people aged 18 or
older
❏ Genetic & Environmental causes
❏ Many types, some include:
● Generalized Anxiety Disorder
● Panic Disorder
● Phobia-Related Disorders
● OCD
● Social Anxiety Disorder

❏ Highly treatable through different avenues

 ● #1 prescribed psychiatric medication in U.S.
● 50 million prescriptions

Xanax Basics: ●
●
15% of people taking it non-medically abuse it
Used to treat anxiety, panic disorders, and
anxiety associated with depression.
● Belongs to class of medications called
Benzodiazepines
● Habit-forming, can cause dependency, or
extreme abuse
● Active ingredient is alprazolam

Some mild side-effects are: constipation,

increased/decreased appetite, drowsiness, fatigue,
insomnia, memory problems, , impaired coordination,

Some severe side effects are: kidney toxicity, liver toxicity,

liver failure, low white blood cell count, etc

Prominent factors:

1. Age
2. Consumption of other drugs; opioids
 Absorption
Treatment of Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders:
0.25-0.5 mg orally once every 6-8 hours

Treatment for Anxiety Associated With

Depression:
Immediate-release: Decrease initial dose to 0.25
mg orally once every 8-12 hours
Extended-release: 0.5 mg orally once/day

Food has no effect on absorption:

- There is no uptake period for xanax. Effects are
felt relatively quick
-primarily excreted through urine

Toxicity: Hydrophilic
1,020 milligrams/kg of
weight
Brain Receptors interacting with Xanax
How Xanax Works On The
Brain:
In Short… Let’s Get to The Basics:

Gaba Receptor: Neurotransmitter GABA

(gamma aminobutyric acid) binds to it,
chloride ion transport channel.

GABA binds to the GABA receptor and chloride

ions can go through the cell membrane and
inhibits the feelings of anxiety that were going
to take place.

When Xanax binds, the GABA receptor goes

through a conformational change and GABA
will be able to bind more effectively

Take home message: activates gaba signaling

Zinc In The Body
Systems
Haley Singer, Elizabeth Gutierrez, Skylar Pieper, Hazirah
Rapidi
 ● Zinc is an essential trace element

Zinc Basics ● Zinc is a mineral found in cells throughout your body

○ It plays a role in cell growth and division, wound
healing, carbohydrate breakdown, smell and
taste.

● RDA for zinc is 8mg for women and 11mg for men.
○ Pregnant women need 11 mg and breastfeeding
women need 12 mg

● Zinc is required for the function of over 300

enzymes and most body systems

*Water Soluble
Zinc Basics ● Zinc ions are released from food in the
beginning of digestion and absorbed in

Part 2 ●
the small intestine.
After absorption it leaves the small
Main Functions:
intestine where it is bound to a protein
★ assists in the activity of numerous
called serum albumin.
enzymes
● Most of Zinc that is found in the body
★ essential to immune function and
wound healing (approximately 90%) is found in muscle and

★ aids in DNA synthesis and reproductive bone. The rest is found in various organs
development throughout the body.
★ maintains sense of taste and smell ● The body cannot store excess zinc.
★ regulates insulin production, storage,
and release
★ helps produce the active form of vitamin
A
★ assists in thyroid function
Zinc Sources
 ● Upper Limit for zinc is 40 mg for adults and

Zinc toxicity ●
4 mg for infants
Overdose symptoms
○ Flu like symptoms
○ Low levels of HDL
○ Change in your taste
○ Copper deficiency
■ Zinc and copper compete for
absorption in your small
intestine
○ Frequent infections
● Treatment for zinc poisoning
(life threatening)
○ drink milk, the high amounts of
calcium and phosphorus can prevent
zinc absorption in the gastrointestinal
tract.
○ Activated charcoal has a similar effect
with absorption.
 Groups at risk:

Zinc Deficiency
●
○ Breastfeeding infants, pregnant
women, alcoholics, vegetarians
● When zinc intake is insufficient: levels in your
skeletal muscle, skin and heart stay
sufficient but levels in your bone, liver,
testes, and plasma decrease.
Zinc Supplements ● Zinc is also available as a dietary
supplement on its own or as part of a
multivitamin.
○ Forms found in supplements: zinc
gluconate, zinc sulfate, and zinc
acetate (vary in the quantity of
elemental zinc)
● Zinc is a common ingredient in many
over-the-counter products, including throat
lozenges, lotions, and nasal sprays.
● Zinc supplementation is used to treat:
○ Macular degeneration for night
blindness and cataracts
○ Asthma, diabetes, nerve damage, high
blood pressure
○ AIDS/HIV and AIDS/HIV-related
complications (pregnancy,diarrhea,
infections and high levels of bilirubin
in blood (hyperbilirubinemia).
 The Immune System ● Zinc is crucial for normal development and

& Zinc
● Zinc has become a frequent treatment for
the common cold! (ZICAM)
● It helps your immune system fight
infection and disease
●
function of cells in the immune system
Functions as an antioxidant
○ Stabilizes membranes
○ Prevents free radical-induced injury
● Promotes macrophage activation and
production of antibodies
● Zinc reduces oxidative stress

*High doses of zinc have been shown

to mimic the effects of insulin in
reducing blood sugar and promoting
wound healing
The Urinary System ● Zinc is associated greatly with Urinary Tract
Infections(UTI)

& Zinc ●
●
The role of Zinc on UTI’s is controversial
Many studies found that zinc
supplementation can help as treatment for
UTIs.
● On the flip side it is found that excessive
supplementation can lead to hospital
admissions for urinary complications
● There is a higher risk for males taking high
doses of zinc to get a UTI or other urinary
tract diseases than there is for females.
The Respiratory ● Zinc reduced the incidence and

System & Zinc

duration of acute lower respiratory
tract infections in infants and
children
● Some studies found that zinc
lozenges may reduce the number of
upper respiratory infections in
children
● Acts an antioxidant
● Protects the airway epithelium
against oxyradical
● Stabilized and psulfhydryl-containing
proteins that are important in lung
function
Reproductive System
- Essential for growth, sexual

& Zinc maturation and reproduction

Male:
● essential for spermatogenesis
● membrane-stabilizer and an
antioxidant
● contribute to the quality of sperm
Female:
● For embryogenesis, fetal growth,milk
secretion.
● Required during pregnancy
- hormonal changes
- Zn active transporters between
mother to fetus.
● Insufficient lead to impaired synthesis
and secretion of FSH and LH
Endocrine System & Zinc
● Zinc plays a very important
role in the our metabolism
● It increases the synthesis of
many growth hormones and
receptors in the body
○ It helps the body to
convert T4 to T3
● Zinc helps to regulate insulin
function
○ It bind to the insulin
receptors and helps to
activate the insulin
signaling pathways
● Zinc has also been said to
help with insomnia by
regulating melatonin
synthesis in the body
The Nervous System ● Zinc is an essential cofactor of 300+ enzymes

& Zinc ● Metalloenzymes and metalloenzyme

complexes are important for maintaining
brain structure and function
● Zinc is necessary in the metabolism of
melatonin which helps with the treatment of
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity
Disorder(ADHD)
● Many children with ADHD are shown to have
a lower zinc concentration than healthy
children
● A study of ADHD treatment with zinc sulfate
showed great improvement achieved by the
patients.
 Summary of Xanax & Zinc.
Zinc:
Xanax: Immune System

Absorption ○ Functions as an antioxidant, helps your

-Immediate release immune system fight infection and
Effects on brain disease
- Activates gaba signaling( inhibits anxious
● Urinary System
feelings)
Basics ○ The role is controversial, can help treat
-Very commonly abused drug UTI’s but also cause other Urinary
Infections
● Respiratory System
○ Lowers the duration of respiratory
infections in infants and children
● Reproductive System
○ Male- essential for spermatogenesis
○ Female- essential during pregnancy
● Endocrine System
○ It increases the synthesis of many
growth hormones and receptors in the
body
● Nervous System
○ Can help with the treatment of ADHD,
helps with cellular information transfer.