Posted by lucie lu on October 23, 2008, at 23:07:25
In reply to Benso-mystery PLUS experiment!, posted by Extreme on October 23, 2008, at 9:13:09
Hi Extreme,
That really is an interesting effect and I have no idea what the pharmacology is - the important thing is that it works for you!
I want to clarify a few of the confusing terms you mention. The first is that when they say that the receptors contain histidine, that is different from the form of histidine that is "free" i.e. an amino acid that is bioactive on its own (e.g. like glutamate, which acts as a neurotransmitter). The histidine in the receptors is part of a long polypeptide chain that makes up the protein receptor. (Histidine, like glutamate, lysine, arginine, are a few of the 20 essential amino acids that make such chains). When we say that one drug receptor has histidine and another receptor has arginine instead, it just refers to differences in the drug binding sites - so the receptors may each prefer slightly different drugs. If you consider the receptor as the "lock" and the drug as the "key" it means that the locks are slightly different so they may each fit a different key. Anyway, the relevant point is that histidine as part of a polypeptide chain is not in the form that can be used for any other purpose - it is not free to cross the blood-brain barrier, be used nutritionally or for making other substances, etc.
As for turnover, it reflects how quickly (well not exactly, but close enough) something like a drug or neurotransmitter gets broken down and therefore inactivated, can no longer have the same biological activity. Like a Kleenex, it gets used, wadded up and thrown away :) A higher turnover number means more tissues get used.
Hope this helps!
Lucie
poster:lucie lu
thread:858937
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081016/msgs/859041.html