Vesamicol
Vesamicol
Vesamicol (pronunciation: vee-sa-mi-col) is a pharmaceutical drug that acts as an inhibitor for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter. It prevents the storage of acetylcholine in synaptic vesicles, thus affecting the release of acetylcholine into the synaptic cleft.
Etymology
The term "Vesamicol" is derived from the words "vesicle" and "amino acid". "Vesicle" refers to the small sacs in which neurotransmitters are stored, and "amino acid" refers to the basic building blocks of proteins, including acetylcholine.
Pharmacology
Vesamicol functions by binding to the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), a protein responsible for packing acetylcholine into vesicles. By inhibiting this transporter, Vesamicol prevents the storage of acetylcholine, thereby reducing the amount of this neurotransmitter that can be released into the synaptic cleft during nerve signal transmission.
Related Terms
- Acetylcholine: A neurotransmitter involved in many functions of the body including muscle stimulation, memory formation, and learning.
- Synaptic vesicles: Small sacs within nerve cells that store neurotransmitters.
- Vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT): A protein that packages acetylcholine into vesicles for storage and release.
- Neurotransmitter: Chemicals that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron (nerve cell) to another 'target' neuron, muscle cell, or gland cell.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Vesamicol
- Wikipedia's article - Vesamicol
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