GABA receptors benzodiazepine binding

Atack JR Anxioselective compounds acting at the GABA(A) receptor benzodiazepine binding site. Curr Drug Target CNS Neurol Disord 2 213—232, 2003... 

Malizia, AL, Cunningham, VJ, Bell, CJ, Liddle, PF, Jones, T and Nutt, DJ (1998) Decreased brain GABA(A)-benzodiazepine receptor binding in panic disorder preliminary results from a quantitative PET study. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 55 715-720. 

The answer is b. (Hardman, pp 365—367J Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam, bind to the GABA receptor/ion channel complex, enhancing GABA-induced Cl" currents related to more frequent bursts of Cl channel opening by GABA. 

Benzodiazepines. Like the barbiturates, benzodiazepines bind to the GABA receptor and are therefore cross-tolerant with alcohol. As a result, they also make suitable replacement medications for alcohol and are widely used for alcohol detoxification. Theoretically, any benzodiazepine can be used to treat alcohol withdrawal. However, short-acting benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax) are often avoided because breakthrough withdrawal may occur between doses. Intermediate to long-acting benzodiazepines including chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), oxazepam (Serax), lorazepam (Ativan), and clonazepam (Klonopin) are more commonly utilized. 

Pharmacology Eszopiclone is a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic. The precise mechanism of action of eszopiclone as a hypnotic is unknown, but its effect is believed to result from its interaction with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-receptor complexes at binding domains located close to or allosterically coupled to benzodiazepine receptors. 

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