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Related Concept Videos

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake01:21

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake

Certain drugs can affect how neurotransmitters called catecholamines, are released or taken back up in the adrenergic neuron. They can have different effects on the body's sympathetic transmission. Reserpine, a natural compound found in the Rauwolfia shrub, blocks a transporter called vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT), which leads to a buildup of catecholamines in the cell and reduces sympathetic transmission. Another drug called guanethidine works in multiple ways, including blocking...
Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis01:20

Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis

Tachyphylaxis is described as a rapid decrease in response to a drug after repeated or continuous administration of the same drug dose. It is a phenomenon where the body becomes less responsive to a particular substance or intervention over time, requiring higher doses or stronger interventions to achieve the same effect. It results from adaptive changes in the body's receptors, signaling pathways, or physiological processes that occur in response to prolonged exposure to a stimulus.
Several...
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis01:29

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis

Drugs affecting neurotransmitter synthesis can impact the adrenergic neuron and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. For example, α-methyltyrosine and carbidopa target specific enzymes involved in catecholamine synthesis. α-methyltyrosine inhibits the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, which converts tyrosine into dopamine. By blocking this enzyme, α-methyltyrosine reduces dopamine production and other catecholamines. Carbidopa, on the other hand, inhibits the enzyme dopa decarboxylase, which converts...
Integration of Synaptic Events01:28

Integration of Synaptic Events

Synaptic integration mainly includes the summation of graded potentials. Graded potentials, regardless of their type, cause subtle alterations in membrane voltage, resulting in either depolarization or hyperpolarization. These incremental changes, when combined or summed, can propel the neuron toward its threshold. Consider, for example, a membrane experiencing a +15 mV shift, causing it to depolarize from -70 mV to -55 mV. In this scenario, graded potentials govern the membrane's ability to...
Factors Affecting Protein-Drug Binding: Drug Interactions01:23

Factors Affecting Protein-Drug Binding: Drug Interactions

Drug interactions are a critical aspect of pharmacology and can occur when two or more drugs compete for the same binding site. This competition can result in one drug displacing another, altering the effect of the displaced drug. Drug interactions are complex processes that rely heavily on how much of the displacer drug is present and how strongly it can bind to the same sites as the displaced drug.
Displacement interactions can have varying outcomes, ranging from toxicity to virtually...
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Rapid Golgi Stain for Dendritic Spine Visualization in Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex
04:58

Rapid Golgi Stain for Dendritic Spine Visualization in Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex

Published on: December 3, 2021

Bisphenol A interferes with synaptic remodeling.

Tibor Hajszan1, Csaba Leranth

  • 1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.

Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology
|July 9, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure disrupts brain development by preventing essential synapse formation, potentially leading to cognitive and mood disorders. This research highlights BPA

Area of Science:

  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Toxicology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic xenoestrogen, has been investigated for potential adverse health effects.
  • Standard toxicological assessments have not identified significant harm from BPA.
  • Emerging research suggests BPA may impact the nervous system, effects not detected by conventional tests.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) on gonadal steroid-induced synaptogenesis.
  • To determine if BPA interferes with the formation of spine synapses in the brain.
  • To explore the potential neurological and cognitive consequences of BPA exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Studies conducted on rats and nonhuman primates.
  • Analysis of BPA's interference with synaptogenesis induced by estrogens and androgens.

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Preparation of Oligomeric β-amyloid1-42 and Induction of Synaptic Plasticity Impairment on Hippocampal Slices
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Preparation of Oligomeric β-amyloid1-42 and Induction of Synaptic Plasticity Impairment on Hippocampal Slices

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Assessment of the Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds on the Development of Vertebrate Neural Network Function Using Multi-electrode Arrays
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Assessment of the Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds on the Development of Vertebrate Neural Network Function Using Multi-electrode Arrays

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Last Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Rapid Golgi Stain for Dendritic Spine Visualization in Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex
04:58

Rapid Golgi Stain for Dendritic Spine Visualization in Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex

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Preparation of Oligomeric β-amyloid1-42 and Induction of Synaptic Plasticity Impairment on Hippocampal Slices
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Preparation of Oligomeric β-amyloid1-42 and Induction of Synaptic Plasticity Impairment on Hippocampal Slices

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Assessment of the Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds on the Development of Vertebrate Neural Network Function Using Multi-electrode Arrays
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Assessment of the Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds on the Development of Vertebrate Neural Network Function Using Multi-electrode Arrays

Published on: April 26, 2018

  • Quantification of spine synapse numbers in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

    • Main Results:

    • BPA was found to completely negate the significant increase in hippocampal and prefrontal spine synapses.
    • This effect was observed in response to both estrogen and androgen stimulation.
    • The magnitude of synaptic loss suggests potential links to cognitive decline, depression, and schizophrenia.

    Conclusions:

    • BPA interferes with crucial neurodevelopmental processes, specifically steroid-induced synaptogenesis.
    • The observed synaptic loss may underlie significant neurological and psychiatric conditions.
    • Children may exhibit particular vulnerability to BPA's neurotoxic effects, warranting further investigation.