513 4.30 Lecture 24 - Opioids and Melatonin

opioid receptors (what main one?) other info

- MOR = mu opioid receptor is the one of interest

explain the synthesis pathway of melatonin (4 big names including melatonin)

- TSNM

pineal gland and melatonin melatonin is released from the _______ at _________ ... in mammals, synthesis and released are controlled by the biological clock (aka the _______) in many mammals, it is involved in regulating ____________ that are controlled by the length of the ___________ examples? (2)

- biological clock or master clock = suprachiasmatic nucleus • Testes shrink when not in breeding season

melatonin and light only light of certain intensities can disrupt the dark cycle ... what color light has the biggest effect on what?

- blue light = largest inhibition of melatonin

melatonin is an example of ___________

- circadian = (of biological processes) recurring naturally on a twenty-four-hour cycle, even in the absence of light fluctuations. A circadian rhythm (/sɜːrˈkeɪdiən/) is any biological process that displays an endogenous, entrainable oscillation of about 24 hours. These 24-hour rhythms are driven by a circadian clock, and they have been widely observed in plants, animals, fungi, and cyanobacteria.

endorphins and opioid receptors endorphins and opioid receptors can heroin, an exogenous opioid, bind to intracellular opioid receptors?

- endorphins = Endorphins are endogenous opioid neuropeptides and peptide hormones in humans and other animals. They are produced by the central nervous system and the pituitary gland. The term "endorphins" implies a pharmacological activity as opposed to a specific chemical formulation

melatonin in a diurnal species what does diurnal mean? when is melatonin highest? melatonin is released from where?

- melatonin released from pineal gland

where do (exogenous) opioids come from? all "naturally" (exogenous) occurring opioids come from the _________

- opium poppy

melatonin is a ___________ what does this mean?

- phytochemical = any of various biologically active compounds found in plants. - trace amounts of melatonin in foods

melatonin ... where is it released and where does it act? light is a ________ , which means what?

o Released from pineal gland o Acts on SCN

effects of light on gene transcription what is observed in SCN after light exposure?

o See a lot of activity (staining) in SCN after 1 hour light pulse

what happens if normal SCN is transplanted to mutant w/ irregular circadian rhythms? what happens if mutant SCN is transplanted to wild-type individual?

o Transplant SCN of a rat to another rat o Can change circadian rhythm to normal o Control left: has light cycle around 18 hours

circadian rhythms in human physiology and behavior what is higher at night? what is higher when you wake up or during the day? list: temperature, cortisol, melatonin

o do not have to know potassium excretion o cortisol helps you to wake up o low Temperature helps you sleep at night o melatonin high at night, low during the day

endocrine function shows rhythmic variation over time in hamsters what does this mean?

o summation of smaller peaks ... cycles o *hormones cycle* o LH high during breeding season

biological rhythms and melatonin visual info

o we do not know long term effects of melatonin

melatonin supplements what is it used for? what is delayed sleep syndrome? there is age-related _______ of melatonin

• Delayed sleep syndrome = go to bed later consistently than the general population o Do not give to young children anymore

explain the melatonin levels vs age (in years) graph

• Newborns do not have a regular melatonin cycle ... wake up a lot

light will ________ melatonin production via the biological clock or master clock, which is known as the __________

• Pineal gland releasing melatonin at night

terms and concepts melatonin is released from the _________ and regulated by ________ ... responsible for ______ and ______ cycle what is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?

• Serotonin transporter actually gets upregulated (SAD) ... less serotonin in the synaptic cleft for people with SAD o Females with S or SS genotype polymorphisms = more likely to get depression

do younger or older people have higher levels of melatonin at night?

• Younger people have higher levels of melatonin at night than older people