Schizophrenia neurotransmitter modulation

Dopamine autoreceptors play a role in Parkinson s disease, schizophrenia and drug addiction. Dopamine heteroreceptors affecting the release of acetylcholine and of amino acid neurotransmitters in the basal ganglia are also relevant for Parkinson s disease. Peripheral dopamine heteroreceptors on postganglionic sympathetic terminals influence heart rate and vascular resistance through modulation of noradrenaline release. 

Among the catecholamines, dopamine has long been of interest to both chemists and neuroscientists. It is one of the most important neurotransmitters and is ubiquitous in the mammalian central nervous system[5]. It modulates many aspects of brain circuitry in a major system of the brain including the extra pyramidal and mesolimbic system, as well as the hypothalamic pituitary axis[6]. It also plays a crucial role in the functioning of the central nervous, cardiovascular, renal and hormonal systems[4], A loss of dopamine containing neurons or its transmission is also related to a number of illnesses and conditions including Parkinson s disease, schizophrenia, motivational habit, reward mechanisms and the regulation of motor functions and in the function of the central nervous, hormonal and cardiovascular system[5,18,19]. It is therefore of interest to measure dopamine in the extracellular fluid in animals to order to monitor neurotransmission processes and correlate neurochemistry with behavior[19]. 

Berberine seems to have antidepressant and neuroprotective effects in several neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. It has been reported to modulate neurotransmitters and their receptor systems in the brain. Moreover, some works indicate a beneficial effect of berberine in the treatment of central nervous system-related disorders including Alzheimer s disease, cerebral ischemia, schizophrenia, anxiety, and mental depression [68-71]. Supporting the observed effect of berberine on the central nervous system, Wang et al. showed that berberine can cross the blood-brain barrier and could be transported into the neurons in a concentration- and time-dependent manner [72]. 

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