Dopamine receptor antagonist Dopaminergic blockers | |
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Drug class | |
![]() Skeletal structural formula of Haloperidol, a typical antipsychotic | |
Class identifiers | |
Use | Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, nausea and vomiting, etc. |
ATC code | N05A |
Biological target | Dopamine receptors |
External links | |
MeSH | D012559 |
Legal status | |
In Wikidata |
A dopamine antagonist, also known as an anti-dopaminergic and a dopamine receptor antagonist (DRA), is a type of drug which blocks dopamine receptors by receptor antagonism. Most antipsychotics are dopamine antagonists, and have been used in treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and stimulant psychosis. [1] Several other dopamine antagonists are antiemetics used in the treatment of nausea and vomiting.
Dopamine receptors are all G protein–coupled receptors, and are divided into two classes based on which G-protein they are coupled to. [1] The D1-like class of dopamine receptors is coupled to Gαs/olf and stimulates adenylate cyclase production, whereas the D2-like class is coupled to Gαi/o and thus inhibits adenylate cyclase production. [1]
D1-like receptors – D1 and D5 are always found post-synaptically. The genes coding these receptors lack introns, so there are no splice variants.
D2-like receptors unlike the D1-like class, these receptors are found pre and post-synaptically. The genes that code these receptors have introns, leading to many alternately spliced variants.
The dopaminergic system has been implicated in a variety of disorders. Parkinson's disease results from loss of dopaminergic neurons in the striatum. [1] Dopamine is believed to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, with most effective antipsychotics blocking D2 receptors. [1] [4] [3] Additional studies hypothesize dopamine dysregulation is involved in Huntington's disease, ADHD, Tourette's syndrome, major depression, manic depression, addiction, hypertension and kidney dysfunction. [1] [3] [5]
Dopamine receptor antagonists are used in the management of broard range of diseases and conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, nausea and vomiting. [1]
Melatonin suppresses dopamine activity [6] as part of normal circadian rhythm functions, and pathological imbalances have been implicated in Parkinson's disease [7]
They may include one or more of the following and last indefinitely even after cessation of the dopamine antagonist, especially after long-term or high-dosage use:
First generation antipsychotics are used to treat schizophrenia and are often accompanied by extrapyramidal side effects. [1] They inhibit dopaminergic neurotransmission in the brain by blocking about 72% of the D2 dopamine receptors. [15] They can also block noradrenergic, cholinergic, and histaminergic activity. [15]
These drugs are not only dopamine antagonists at the receptor specified, but also act on serotonin receptor 5HT2A. [15] [1] These drugs have fewer extrapyramidal side effects and are less likely to affect prolactin levels when compared to typical antipsychotics. [11]