Prozac Project
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Faculty:
Professor Bongsup Cho Some people with depression have a shortage of serotonin, the “mood” neurotransmitter in the brain. The antidepressant PROZAC, a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) can help correct this imbalance by increasing the brain's own supply of serotonin. This animation shows how Prozac alleviates depression. In a healthy person, an optimal concentration of serotonin is available at synapse. The blue colored layers represent the trans-membrane structure of both pre- (upper screen) and post-synaptic (lower screen) areas. Red colored masses in the post-synaptic membrane represent serotonin receptors. |
Quicktime player is needed to view the above animation. Visit the Pharmacy page for more pharmaceutical animations.
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| Depression can occur when the serotonin transporter protein (shown in gray in the pre-synaptic membrane) binds to a serotonin before the serotonin has a chance to bind to the post-synaptic receptor. This is known as reuptake. Prozac blocks the reuptake of serotonin by disabling the transporter proteins. More serotonin molecules will go to the post-synaptic receptor and thus depression is relieved. | |
For more information on any of the above projects, please contact Roy Bergstrom.
