What is the blood brain barrier and what drugs are capable of crossing it?
February 6th, 2010 | by admin |If anybody can help me out with this subject matter, that would be great! I know the blood brain barrier is a tight seal of endothelial cells that prevents many chemical substances and bacteria from entering the brain. (is there anything else I shoould know about it?) Also, what kind of drugs are able to penetrate the blood brain barrier? I know highly lipid soluble drugs can, but are there any others? In addition, what is the reason for these drugs to be able to cross it? What are the implications for this?
Thank you to anyone who can help. It’s GREATLY appreciated.
General Properties of the BBB:
-Large molecules do not pass through the BBB easily.
-Low lipid (fat) soluble molecules do not penetrate into the brain.
-Molecules that have a high electrical charge are slowed.
There are plenty of medications that cross the BBB, and all recreational drugs do as well.
The reason these drugs can cross it is because the brain has to let SOME things pass into it (glucose, oxygen, etc) but also has to keep things out (bacteria), so these are the rules it sets up to let everything the brain needs pass through, while minimizing the amount of other chemicals that can pass. The drugs that we have are just loopholes that still meet the chemical requirements.
6 Responses to “What is the blood brain barrier and what drugs are capable of crossing it?”
By rima on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply
dosen’t matter you shouldn’t do drugs
References :
By October on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply
There aren’t really many drugs (if any) that can penetrate the barrier. Usually if something is wrong with your brain (like a tumor) the only way to get at the problem would be directly, i.e. they would have to drill in to your skull.
References :
By avaberne on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply
I have no idea what this is so I searched thru google and found this:
http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=brainBriefings_bloodBrainBarrier
Interesting, hmm.
References :
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2003/11/10/981339.htm?site=science/greatmomentsinscience
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081022073724.htm
By Chelsa on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply
the blood-brain barrier is a structure that prevents passage of material from the blood stream to the tissue of the brain. Alcohol passes through the blood brain barrier easily.
References :
By daddyrx on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply
Other than alcohol
Let’s use advances in medicine:
Surgery: General anesthesia started with ether
Palliative care: Derivatives of opiates make cancer pain tolerable
more if you want
References :
Pharmacist
By david on Feb 6, 2010 | Reply
General Properties of the BBB:
-Large molecules do not pass through the BBB easily.
-Low lipid (fat) soluble molecules do not penetrate into the brain.
-Molecules that have a high electrical charge are slowed.
There are plenty of medications that cross the BBB, and all recreational drugs do as well.
The reason these drugs can cross it is because the brain has to let SOME things pass into it (glucose, oxygen, etc) but also has to keep things out (bacteria), so these are the rules it sets up to let everything the brain needs pass through, while minimizing the amount of other chemicals that can pass. The drugs that we have are just loopholes that still meet the chemical requirements.
References :