 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||
|
Pharmaceutical and Medical Food Convenience Packs to Manage Nutritional Deficiencies in Disease States There has been increasing attention to the role that neurotransmitters and neuromodulators play in various aspects of health and disease. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers that allow one neuron to communicate with either a second neuron or an effector organ. Some examples of classic neurotransmitters are acetylcholine and norepinephrine that function within the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system, operating through its neurotransmitters, controls important body functions, such as heart rate, respiratory rate, gastrointestinal function, appetite, sleep, sexual performance, blood pressure, and mood. Additionally, neurotransmitters and neuromodulators play a crucial role in regulating the function of the cardiovascular, reproductive, musculoskeletal, immune, respiratory, and memory systems. Numerous pharmaceutical agents have been developed that exert their effects by interfering with one or more of these neurotransmitter or neuromodulator systems. One important pharmaceutical mechanism is that of reuptake inhibition of neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft of neuron junctions. The pharmaceuticals fluoxetine and fenfluramine are examples of neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors. All known neurotransmitters are synthesized within the neurons from their requisite precursor molecules. In addition, administration of neurotransmitter and neuromodulator precursors to subjects has long been known to induce a physiologic response when initially administered. For example, administration of tryptophan-the precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin - leads to the production of serotonin, administration of choline leads to the production of acetylcholine, administration of tyrosine leads to the production of epinephrine, and administration ofarginine leads to the production of nitric oxide. These precursor molecules are generally amino acids and are produced in the liver or are derived from the diet. Although, the administration of neurotransmitter precursors is known to acutely produce neurotransmitters, as evidenced by a physiologic response, the physiologic response induced by administration of a precursorto a neurotransmitter is often inconsistent, weakin magnitude, and attenuates rapidly such that the precursor administration is largely ineffective. The physiologic loss of neurotransmitter function results in abnormal physiology that either initiates a disease or promotes its severity. |
||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
