January 25, 2016
Researchers at University of Florida Health have discovered the
mechanics of how dopamine transports into and out of brain cells, a finding
that could someday lead to more effective treatment of drug addictions and
neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
The researchers, including Habibeh Khoshbouei, Pharm D., Ph.D.,
an associate professor of neuroscience in the UF College of
Medicine, report their findings in the current edition of the journal Nature
Communications.
The findings are significant because dopamine is involved in
many brain-related functions, Khoshbouei said. Too little dopamine can lead to
Parkinson's disease, a brain disorder that causes shaking and problems with
movement and coordination. Abnormally high concentrations of dopamine are
linked to schizophrenia and other psychiatric
disorders. Cocaine and methamphetamine affect the brain by blocking the normal
transport of dopamine back into neurons.
Knowing how a particular protein called dopamine transporter
controls dopamine movement in and out of neurons is crucial to further
understanding dopamine-related disorders, Khoshbouei said.
"It's an important first step. If we know how the dopamine
transport system works, then we can start fixing it when it's broken or
malfunctioning," she said.
The researchers' findings offer a broader understanding of how dopamine
moves through cell membranes. Using mouse and human-derived dopamine neurons,
researchers found that dopamine movement is affected by changes in electrical
properties of the neurons. That, in turn, changes the way dopamine transporters
function.
Khoshbouei likens the dopamine transporter to a powerful,
efficient "vacuum cleaner" that helps the brain maintain its normal
chemical balance by rapidly drawing dopamine back into the neurons. In a
normally functioning brain, dopamine is released from the neurons in response
to pleasurable or life-sustaining activities, such as eating or sex. When the
"vacuum cleaner" works properly, dopamine is eventually swept back
into the neurons by the dopamine transporter, returning the brain to a
less-stimulated state. Drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine keep the brain
stimulated by preventing neurons from "vacuuming up" excess dopamine.
Ultimately, it's about balance: A properly functioning dopamine
system controls movement, reward and pleasurable feelings. Imbalance in the
dopamine transport system leads to neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases.
Understanding the dopamine transport system is another step toward possibly
being able to treat drug addictions or diseases related to dopamine imbalance,
Khoshbouei said.
Grants
from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of
Neurological Disorders funded the research, which included collaborators from
the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and the NIDA.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/305565.php?tw
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