Neurotransmitter Classification

[Lightning-Nl]

I had an interesting idea the other day. I was thinking abou how to classify endegenous neurotransmitters into drug categories. However, I am unaware of a couple things and so I decided to create this thread.

I know that...

Epinephrine, Norepinephrine and Dopamine are all phenethylamine derivatives. I believe Dopamine is also an amphetamine derivative - so I would call all of these the endegenous amphetamines/stimulants.

The endegenous opioids are all part of the endorphin spectrum. So that includes beta-endorphin, alpha-neoendorphin, etc.

The endegenous tranquilizers are GABA, as well as GHB. There may be others, but I am unaware of those.

I know there are endegenous cannabinoids, but as far as I am aware, we aren't sure what those are yet.

As far as everything else goes, I am unsure how to classify Acetylcholine, Serotonin, Vasopressin, Oxytocin, Glutamine, Adenosine, Histamine, etc...

How would we classify these into categories of drugs?

 

[MrSpeedyG]

I would call serotonin an endogenous tryptamine? IIRC obviously Serotonin and Melatonin are, but Tryptamine, DMT are all found naturally in the body even if in extremely small amounts and you could class all of those compounds as endogenous tryptamines as you would classify PEA and noradrenalne/dopamine endogenous phenethylamines.

PEA is like the bodys endogenous amphetamine and tryptamine/DMT could be like the bodys endogenous a-methyl,tryptamine?

 

[nAON]

You are thinking of it the wrong way.. drugs are defined by the receptor systems they affect, not the other way round.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Basically. Instead of making your own classifications, which aren't too bad, why not check out the references in add?

 

[Jktm]

Too many different classes of drugs work on the same receptors as other classes of drugs for this to work.

 

[pasha]

Moving this to Other Drugs.

BDD -> OD

 

[Lightning-Nl]

Too many different classes of drugs work on the same receptors as other classes of drugs for this to work.

Perhaps, but since this interests me - I thought it would be fun to try ;P

You are thinking of it the wrong way.. drugs are defined by the receptor systems they affect, not the other way round.

I'm fully aware of that. But my thought was; if neurotransmitters were drugs, how would they be classified?

 

[sekio]

Dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline are actually administered as drugs to alter cardiac and vascular tone. (BTW none are amphetamines, they lack the alpha-methyl carbon)

Classifying neurotransmitters in this matter is kind of troublesome because certain NTs can have effects on one part of the brain/body, but a different one in a different part.

If you want to do it structurally, try dividing it into the main monoamines (histamine, NE, DA, 5HT, etc), trace amines (PEA), ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+), steroids (testosterone, estrogen), amino acids (GABA, Asp, Glu, Gly), peptides (endorphin, ghrelin etc), and miscellaneous oddballs (nucleobases adenosine/guanine etc, acetylcholine, nitric oxide, endocannabinoids). You'll note pretty quickly, though, that structural classes have little to do with activity.

A lot of neurotransmitters just can't be easily classified like drugs. It may seem convenient to say "dopamine is the feel-good-and-do-stuff chemical, serotonin is the happiness chemical, GABA is an endogenous sedative" but at best these are generalizations. In many cases they just don't hold, e.g. administration of a SSRI does not, in general, produce an immediate mood-brightening effect.

as far as I am aware, we aren't sure what those [endogenous cannabinoids] are yet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anandamide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RVD-Hpα

 

[MrSpeedyG]

Curious to know the point of this anyway, just for fun?

 

[Lightning-Nl]

Curious to know the point of this anyway, just for fun?

Pretty much. Since I am majoring in Pharmacology I was interested in how a neurotransmitter would be classified if it was a drug.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

I mean, as seek said, its very complicated. You at least have to think of subtypes.

 

[MrSpeedyG]

Fair enough I personally have the same sort of curioisty as you and interest

 

[Toucan]

Toucan Metaphorical Neurotransmitter Classification System 1.0

the monoamines are tree's.
serotonin is a willow, epinephrine is an apple tree, norepinephrine a lemon tree and dopamine a hearty oak. GABA is an ocean, and glutamate is fish.
acetylcholine is a raincloud,
endocannabinoids are snails & endorphins are sloths