Neuroactive molecules

The technical approaches for the visualization of neuroactive molecules were rapidly progressing in parallel. Geffen et al. (1969) introduced the principle of revealing... 

We will deal in greater detail with a few additional neuroactive molecules, selected on the basis of their interest in the chemical signature of dopaminergic circuits, or in view of the potential implication of midbrain dopaminergic cells in physiological regulation as well as in disease. 

Cao, X. and Schoichet, M.S., Delivering neuroactive molecules from biodegradable microspheres for application in central nervous system disorders. Biomaterials 20,329-339,1999. 

A. Apicella, B. Cappela, M.A. Del Nobile, M.I. La Rotonda, G. Mensitiery, Dehvery of neuroactive molecules from biodegradable microshperes. Biomaterials, 14 83-91,1993. 

In accordance with the structure of the BBB as a double Upid bilayer, classical neuroactive drugs such as benzodiazepines, neuroleptics and tricyclic antidepressive agents, are all small lipophilic molecules. These small molecular weight neuropharmaceuticals were selected by a trial and error approach because their structural characteristics allow for diffusion-mediated,... 

There are two methods for crossing the BBB passive diffusion or active transport. Passive diffusion is the route preferred by most neuroactive drugs. Lipid solubility is a desired chemical property for a molecule to diffuse across the BBB. For a molecule to cross the BBB by passive diffusion it should have a molecular weight less than 650 g/mol and should have a logP (logarithm of the octanol-water partition coefficient) value... 

Despite the studies carried out in recent years, a precise localization of modulators and small molecules within the brain of cephalopod species is still missing. In this chapter, we present two different protocols developed to investigate the spatial distribution and relationship of neuroactive substances in the nervous tissues of cephalopods. These are designed for frozen and vibratome sections of Octopus vulpiaris brain but may be applied with little variations to other species/tissues and are also specifically designed to detect small molecules such as monoamines. 

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