How Does Rabies (RV) Affect Neurotransmitters? What Neurotransmitters Does Rabies Affect?

.....

~Q~

How Does Rabies (RV) Affect Neurotransmitters?

What Neurotransmitters Does Rabies Affect?

~A~

1. It depletes cerebral noradrenaline/norepinephrine (NE) as well as Dopamine (DA) which leads to neuromuscular-dysfunction and abnormal thinking (1) (2). 
2. It also reduces GABA transporter efficacy and amplifies the release of GABA in response to potassium (K+) currents, this is likely responsible for the dissociative effects of the Virus (3) (4).
3. Rabies cleaves to and uses acetylcholine (ACh) receptors to spread and transfer it's presence to other neural domains, they also remain an incredibly important factor to the psychological effects of rabies, overstimulation of the nicotinic and muscarinic receptors plays a role in developing psychosomatic effects and possibly the convulsions at late stages (5) (6) (7)..
4. Finally, Rabies causes oxidative damage, a lot of which is attributed to a massive release of induced nitric oxide release, by the enzyme iNOS which means inducible nitric oxide synthase, this form is volatile, presence in .. cytoskeletal networks, and immune cells, as well as brain networks (8) (9) (10).

**OTHER REFERENCES/DISCUSSIONS***

• REDDIT: Why does rabies cause a fear of water?
• Rabies review: immunopathology, clinical aspects and treatment
• Rabies : Signs/Symptoms