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PubMed1985

Arecoline-induced elevations of regional cerebral metabolism in the conscious rat.

Local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) was measured, using the quantitative [14C]2-deoxy-D-glucose ([14C]DG) method, at 3 min after administration to 3-month-old, awake Fischer rats of the muscarinic agonist arecoline (AREC) 0.05, 0.5, 5, 15 or 50 mg/kg or saline i.p. Animals were pretreated with methylatropine (a cholinergic antagonist which does not enter the brain and has no effect on cerebral metabolism) 4 mg/kg s.c. to prevent parasympathomimetic side-effects of AREC. Tremor produced by AREC was rated subjectively. Intensity of tremor was dose-related, peaked at 2-5 min after AREC, and abated within 30 min. Elevations in LCGU (measured after [14C]DG injection during peak behavior) in extrapyramidal regions, which mediate tremor, were related to the intensity of tremor. The lowest dose of AREC selectively increased LCGU in the hippocampus and median raphe; higher doses produced more generalized metabolic enhancement. In the hippocampus and cortex, LCGU rose in layers in which cholinoceptive cells are located. Regions of the auditory pathway and superficial neocortical layers (I-III) were generally unaffected by AREC, but LCGU did not decrease in any region. The selective increase in LCGU produced by low doses of AREC in the hippocampus presumably is due to a specific action of AREC, and demonstrates the high sensitivity of this region to cholinomimetic stimulation.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Multiregional cerebral blood flow changes induced by a cholinomimetic drug.

The effect of parasympathomimetic drug, carbachol, on regional cerebral blood flow was tested in the rabbit with the 14C-ethanol tissue sampling technique. Intracarotid injection of carbachol significantly increased flow with respect to untreated control animals in 6 out of 10 structures sampled. However, compared with animals to which atropine was also administered, the flow increases were greater with carbachol alone. These effects are discussed in terms of muscarinic and nicotinic activation.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Muscarinic stimulation of prostanoid synthesis by the isolated rat trachea: calcium dependency and effect of cortisol and cigarette smoke.

Tracheal prostanoid synthesis was stimulated by parasympathomimetics: arecoline greater than carbachol = methacholine greater than acetylcholine much greater than arecaidine. McNA343, dimethyl phenyl piperazinium (DMPP), nicotine, potassium and isoprenaline were without effect. Prostanoid synthesis was also stimulated by Ca2+ ionophore A23187 and arachidonic acid (AA). Carbachol-stimulated prostanoid synthesis was inhibited by cholinergic antagonists (atropine greater than ipratropium bromide much greater than gallamine greater than pirenzepine); adrenaline and isoprenaline were without effect. Carbachol-stimulated prostanoid synthesis was also inhibited by the Ca2+-channel blockers, nifedipine, diethylstilboestrol and TMB-8. Hydrocortisone and betamethasone inhibited carbachol- and A23187-stimulated, but not AA-stimulated, prostanoid synthesis following an 18 h tissue culture. Cigarette smoke extracts had a biphasic effect on carbachol-, A23187- and AA-stimulated prostanoid synthesis (potentiation at low concentrations, inhibition at high concentrations of extracts). These data demonstrate (1) that rat tracheal prostanoid synthesis is stimulable by activation of muscarine receptor-linked Ca2+ mobilisation, and (2) that tracheal prostanoid synthesis may be involved in secretion of mucus, the disruption of which by cigarette smoking may be related to the pathophysiology of airway disease.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed1979

Arterial pH, airway caliber and response to acetylcholine and catecholamines in vivo.

Direct assessment of tracheal circumference, which permits evaluation of constriction and dilatation in vivo, was made continuously in intact, pentobarbital-anesthetized, spontaneously breathing dogs. Immediate response to induction of hypercapnia included tracheal constriction and cessation of normal, vagus-dependent rhythmicity of airway tone. The characteristic constrictor response to acetylcholine was exaggerated significantly during hypercapnic acidosis and returned to normal when arterial pH, but not CSF pH, was corrected by NaHCO3 infusion. Epinephrine produced significant tracheal dilatation (infrequently followed by constriction) and isoproterenol produced only dilatation at normal pH. The catecholamine-induced dilatation was decreased significantly during hypercapnic acidosis, but improved after NaHCO3 infusion. Responses to acetylcholine and epinephrine were the the same as control during alkalemia, whereas the response to isoproterenol was unexplainedly diminished. Thus alkalemia may inhibit the action of isoproterenol; acidemia enhances parasympathomimetic constriction and reduces sympathomimetic dilatation; and correction of arterial pH returns these responses to normal, even if hypercapnia and CSF acidosis persist.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed1986

The pharmacology of anatoxin-a(s), a neurotoxin produced by the freshwater cyanobacterium Anabaena flos-aquae NRC 525-17.

Anatoxin-a(s) [antx-a(s)] is produced by Anabaena flos-aquae clone NRC 525-17 and is different from anatoxin-a, a known depolarizing agent produced by A. flos-aquae NRC 44-1. Purification of antx-a(s) from lyophilized cells involved extraction with 1.0 M acetic acid: ethanol (80:20), column chromatography (Sephadex G-15 and CM-Sephadex C-25) and high performance liquid chromatography. Purified toxin has an LD50 (i.p., mouse) of approximately 50 micrograms/kg. Gross pharmacological tests of antx-a(s) on isolated chick biventer cervicis and frog rectus abdominis muscles showed no direct agonistic effect. Instead, antx-a(s) augments the acetylcholine response and antagonizes the actions of d-tubocurarine. Twitch potentiation and tetanic fade were observed on isolated rat phrenic nerve--diaphragm muscle when stimulated indirectly at different frequencies. In acute toxicity tests with mice and rats the signs of poisoning were indicative of excessive cholinergic stimulation. Mice pretreated with atropine sulfate showed longer survival times and no parasympathomimetic signs of toxicity. The mice still died of respiratory arrest with convulsions, which indicated that toxicity is due to more than just the peripheral muscarinic action of antx-a(s). Assays of serum cholinesterase of rats in acute toxicity tests showed complete inactivation of the enzyme at doses of 350 and 600 micrograms/kg. It was concluded that antx-a(s) may be acting as an anticholinesterase, thereby causing toxicity.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed1982

Bethanechol-induced water intake in rats: possible mechanisms of induction.

Acute administration of the parasympathomimetic agent, bethanechol, at 2, 4, 8 and 12 mg/kg body wt, IP, induced drinking and increased urine output of rats in a dose-dependent fashion. The first significant increases in both water intake and urine output above that of controls occurred when 4 mg/kg was administered. The drinking and increased urine output in response to administration of 8 mg bethanechol/kg was inhibited by atropine sulfate (3 and 6 mg/kg, IP). In addition, the beta-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol (6 mg/kg, IP, administered 30 min prior to treatment with bethanechol), inhibited bethanechol (8 mg/kg, IP)-induced drinking. Urine output, however, was unaffected by propranolol. Further, the angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril, inhibited significantly the drinking response, but not the increased urine output, accompanying administration of bethanechol (8 mg/kg). The effect of bethanechol and the beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol (25 micrograms/kg) separately and in combination, on water intake was also studied. Both compounds increased water intake but they exerted no interactive effect when administered simultaneously. Administration of bethanechol (8 mg/kg) to conscious rats was also accompanied by a significant reduction in both mean blood pressure and heart rate that reached minimal levels within 10 min after treatment. Both responses had returned to control level by one hr after treatment. These results suggest that bethanechol induces drinking in rats by way of the renin-angiotensin system.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Tracheal phenol red secretion, a new method for screening mucosecretolytic compounds.

A simple method for screening drugs that influence tracheobronchial secretion has been described. After i.p. application of a phenol red solution, part of the dye is secreted into the tracheal lumen. This basal secretion is increased by both parasympathomimetics and sympathomimetics. In addition, expectorants are also capable of increasing tracheal phenol red output. Therefore this method is suitable for the study of drugs that may be capable of influencing tracheobronchial secretion.

2-Hydroxyphenethylamine↗

PubMed1987

Fluoride but not phorbol esters stimulate rat urinary bladder prostanoid synthesis: investigations into the roles of G proteins and protein kinase C.

The role of G proteins and protein kinase C in mediating muscarine receptor-linked prostanoid synthesis by the rat urinary bladder was investigated using the G protein activator, sodium fluoride (NaF); the protein kinase C activators, phorbol myristate (PMA) and phorbol dibutyrate (PDBU); the protein kinase C inhibitor, H7, and the parasympathomimetic, carbachol. NaF stimulated in vitro rat urinary bladder prostacyclin (PGI2) synthesis (EC50 = 6 mmol.l-1), an action inhibited by the presence of EDTA (10 mmol.l-1). Carbachol potentiated the stimulatory action of NaF. NaF (10 mmol.l-1)-stimulated PGI2 synthesis was inhibited by the calcium channel blockers verapamil, nifedipine and the protein kinase C inhibitor, H7, in concentration-dependent manners. Carbachol-stimulated PGI2 synthesis was also inhibited by H7. PDBU and PMA were without effect on de novo, NaF- or carbachol-stimulated urinary bladder PGI2 synthesis. Other prostanoids (PGF2 and PGF2 alpha) were stimulated to the ame degree as PGI2 by NaF, and inhibited equally by H7 and calcium channel blockers. Dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate was without effect on de novo or NaF-stimulated prostanoid synthesis. Since fluoride activates G proteins, these data indicate that: (1) muscarine receptor-prostanoid synthesis coupling is mediated by G proteins in the rat urinary bladder; (2) fluoride action is mediated by protein kinase C and not adenyl cyclase, probably through activation of phospholipase C and therefore the generation of the protein kinase C activator, diacyl glycerol; (3) activated protein kinase C may initiate Ca2++ mobilisation linked to prostanoid synthesis; and (4) the lack of effect of the phorbol esters on urinary bladder PGI2 synthesis, in contrast to that on other smooth muscle, indicates that in different smooth muscle tissues there are varying forms of protein kinase C.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗

PubMed1988

Calcitonin gene-related peptide in rat salivary glands: neuronal localization, depletion upon nerve stimulation, and effects on salivation in relation to substance P.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive nerve fibres occurred predominantly around blood vessels and large ducts and, to a minor extent, around acini and small ducts in the parotid, sublingual and submaxillary glands of the rat. Double immunostaining showed most of the CGRP-containing nerve fibres to contain substance P. However, the vast majority of substance P-immunoreactive periacinar nerve fibres in the parotid and submandibular glands lacked CGRP. After parasympathetic denervation of the parotid gland by section of the auriculotemporal nerve these periacinar substance P-immunoreactive nerve fibres disappeared almost completely, whereas the number of substance P/CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibres seemed unchanged. After this operation the total amount of substance P in the parotid gland was reduced by about 90% as judged by radioimmunoassay; in denervation experiments the facial nerve was found to contribute to the residual substance P content. In contrast, the contribution of the auriculotemporal nerve to the CGRP content of the gland was small; the reduction in CGRP after section of the nerve was 20%. The facial nerve and the dorsal root nerves (C3 and C4) contributed to the CGRP content with about 50%. The source of the remaining 30% of the parotid gland CGRP is unknown. It is not the sympathetic nerve: sympathetic denervation resulted in a marked increase in CGRP, regardless of whether the auriculotemporal nerve was intact or not. Upon long-lasting electrical stimulation of the auriculotemporal nerve at a high frequency the parotid gland content of CGRP was gradually reduced, indicating depletion of this peptide in response to nerve stimulation. Intravenous injections of CGRP evoked no salivary flow; however, a release of amylase was revealed. Also, when CGRP was tested on isolated parotid gland lobules amylase was released into the medium. When, in vivo, CGRP was injected in combination with substance P, the substance P-evoked flow of parotid and submaxillary saliva was markedly enhanced. In addition, CGRP enhanced the in vivo secretory response to parasympathomimetics and to vasoactive intestinal peptide. The localization of CGRP-containing nerve fibres suggests that CGRP is involved in the regulation of secretion and blood flow of salivary glands. CGRP may interact positively with acetylcholine and certain nonclassical transmitters, and it may be involved (together with other neuropeptides) in the atropine-resistant parasympathetic secretion occurring in the glands under study.

Amylases↗

PubMed1987

A hypothesis concerning Clostridium perfringens type A enterotoxin (CPE) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

This study identifies the presence of Clostridium perfringens type A enterotoxin (CPE) in some gastrointestinal and serum samples from babies who had died of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other causes. On occasion antibodies to this toxin were identified in sera. CPE is parasympathomimetic in its action. In the adult food poisoning model it is produced when the organism sporulates in vivo. This leads to speculation as to whether this toxin may play an ante-mortem role in the dying process of infants, either in the agonal stages or as a causative factor in SIDS.

Bacterial Toxins↗

PubMed1977

Clinical evaluation of the enhancement of vagal tone in acute myocardial infarction by edrophonium hydrochloride: effects on ventricular arrhythmias, His bundle electrography, and left ventricular function.

Enhanced electrical stability of acutely ischemic myocardium with vagal stimulation and acetylcholinesterase inhibition has been demonstrated experimentally. To extend these findings clinically, within 24 hours of acute myocardial infarction, 11 patients underwent continuous 10 hour Holter monitoring: 2.5 hour control before and after 5 hour constant edrophonium infusion (0.25 to 2.00 mg./minute). Continuous infusion of the agent lowered heart rate 92 to 78 b.p.m. (p less than 0.01). Although mean total ventricular extrasystoles (PVC's) per 5 hours per patient (131) and PVC's per 1,000 beats (4.7) were unchanged (p greater than 0.05), potentially lethal tachyarrhythmias (malignant PVC's: multifocal, R on T, paried, greater than 5 per minute or ventricular tachycardia) were terminated in six of 10 patients by edrophonium. However, serious ventricular arrhythmias continued in three patients and appeared in four despite the agent. Ventricular fibrillation did not occur during the 10 hour period of study. In addition, the patients were evaluated hemodynamically and by His bundle electrograms before and after a 10 mg. bolus of edrophonium prior to the 10 hour constant infusion: heart rate declined (88 to 72 b.p.m., p less than 0.01), while mean arterial pressure (98 mm. Hg), left ventricular filling pressure (14 mm. Hg), cardiac index (2.4 L. per minute per square meter), and stroke work index (36 Gm.m./M.2) were unchanged (p greater than 0.05). The edrophonium bolus prolonged the A-H interval (117 to 135 msec., p less than 0.01) while the H-Q interval was unaltered (48 msec; p greater than 0.05). It is concluded that increased vagal tone with edrophonium did not reduce the over-all presence of premature ventricular contractions in the entire study group; however, the malignant nature of PVCs and ventricular tachycardia appeared to be lessened by the parasympathomimetic agent in certain patients. In addition, no adverse hemodynamic or intraventricular conduction effects were produced by edrophonium administration.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

PubMed1997

Usefulness of low doses of atropine to quantify the vagal stimulus-response relation in patients with congestive heart failure.

The response of low doses of atropine is reported to be attenuated in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Judging from the main site of action of low doses of atropine, we may be able to assess the functional state of the vagal center in the central nervous system. This study examines the clinical significance of heart rate (HR) response to a low dose of atropine in patients with CHF. Low and high doses of atropine were administered intravenously in 72 patients with CHF. HR after a low (parasympathomimetic) dose injection was assessed by the ratio Rm (minimal HR/basal HR), and after a high (parasympatholytic) dose by the ratio R1 (augmented HR/basal HR). Rm and R1 were related to indexes of CHF. Rm increased with progression of CHF (0.92 +/- 0.03 in New York Heart Association functional class I, 0.98 +/- 0.05 in class II, and 1.00 +/- 0.04 in class III). It also correlated with ejection fraction (r = -0.48, p <0.01) and more importantly, with peak oxygen uptake (r = -0.59, p <0.01). R1 exhibited weak correlation with basal HR (r = -0.33, p <0.05) and ejection fraction (r = 0.31, p <0.05), but had no correlation with other indexes. The vagal center may be already blunted in New York Heart Association class II with respect to increased Rm, which may be related to depressed exercise capacity. A low dose of atropine injection offers a simple and safe method for providing important information on the functional state of the vagal center in the central nervous system in patients with CHF.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Attempted suicide with pilocarpine eyedrops.

PURPOSE: To alert ophthalmologists about the hazards of poisoning with ophthalmic solutions. METHODS: We treated an 18-year-old man who attempted suicide by drinking and self-injecting pilocarpine eyedrops. He had severe signs of parasympathomimetic poisoning. RESULTS: Because of heavy and repeated vomiting and the early administration of intravenous atropine, he fully recovered. CONCLUSION: Because they are usually stored in household refrigerators and are readily accessible, the potential hazard of poisoning with ophthalmic solutions is worth emphasizing.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Stationary and nonstationary correlation-frequency analysis of heterodyne mode laser light scattering: magnitude and periodicity of canine tracheal ciliary beat frequency in vivo.

Stationary and nonstationary correlation-frequency analysis of heterodyne laser light scattering were utilized to make automated, on-line, objective measurements of tracheal ciliary beat frequency (CBF) in intact, anesthetized canines. The stationary correlation-frequency analysis laser light-scattering technique was used to assess the magnitude of the CBF stimulatory responses induced by aerosolized 10(-5) M fenoterol (sympathomimetic), and 10(-8) M and 10(-6) M methacholine (parasympathomimetic) delivered to the whole lungs of eight barbiturate-anesthetized beagles. The nonstationary correlation-frequency analysis laser light-scattering technique was used to measure the effect on tracheal CBF of increasing the cytosolic calcium ion concentration with a calcium ionophore, A23187. Aerosolized A23187 was delivered to the isolated tracheal lumens of eight beagle dogs in cumulative doses ranging from 10(-9)M to 10(-6) M. Administration of the ionophore synchronized the CBF with a period of 5.3 min. Dose dependencies were observed in both the time to the peak CBF stimulation and the magnitude of the stimulatory response. The magnitude of CBF stimulation was inhibited by prior administration of aerosolized nifedipine (2 mg/ml), a voltage-operated calcium channel blocker. The A23187-induced modulation period of tracheal CBF, was unchanged by nifedipine. These are the first data to demonstrate that the magnitude and periodicity of CBF are two independent coupled processes. The cooperativity of these two processes could be determined in the effectiveness of mucociliary transport.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1997

Aldosterone blockade reduces vascular collagen turnover, improves heart rate variability and reduces early morning rise in heart rate in heart failure patients.

BACKGROUND: Experimental data suggest that aldosterone has harmful effects promoting myocardial fibrosis and disturbing autonomic balance. There has been no evidence of these potential effects in intact man. METHODS AND RESULTS: We report the findings in 31 patients with stable chronic heart failure (CHF) who were treated with spironolactone (50-100 mg/day) or placebo in addition to diuretics and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition. In a controlled randomised double-blind study, we found that spironolactone treatment reduced circulating levels of procollagen type III N-terminal amino peptide, a marker of vascular collagen turnover, and in addition increased time-domain parameters of heart rate variability (n = 24). These latter parameters suggest a parasympathomimetic effect for additional spironolactone. Spironolactone significantly reduced heart rate (prolonged RR interval) particularly during the dawn hours (06.00-09.00 h). In this unbalanced study it was not possible to provide a detailed diurnal assessment of the impact of spironolactone on heart rate variability, but the preliminary data suggest that there may be an interaction with the autonomic nervous system which varies in time. CONCLUSIONS: These are the first human data to show that use of the aldosterone antagonist, spironolactone, can positively improve time-domain heart rate variability and reduce myocardial collagen turnover, as reflected by further reductions in serum procollagen peptide, despite concurrent ACE inhibitor treatment. Residual aldosterone after ACE inhibitor treatment may therefore have a role promoting arrhythmia and cardiac death by two mechanisms. Effects of additional spironolactone on slowing heart rate (and potentially the detrimental effect of aldosterone) were most prominent between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. when cardiac death is also known to be most prominent.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Investigations into the physiological role of muscarinic M2 and M4 muscarinic and M4 receptor subtypes using receptor knockout mice.

Determination of muscarinic agonist-induced parasympathomimetic effects in wild type and M2 and M4 muscarinic receptor knockout mice revealed that M2 receptors mediated tremor and hypothermia, but not salivation. The M4 receptors seem to play a modest role in salivation, but did not alter hypothermia and tremor. In the M2 knockout mice, agonist-induced bradycardia in isolated spontaneously beating atria was completely absent compared to their wild type litter mates, whereas agonist-induced bradycardia was similar in the M4 knockout and wild type mice. The potency of carbachol to stimulate contraction of isolated stomach fundus, urinary bladder and trachea was reduced by a factor of about 2 in the M2 knockout mice, but was unaltered in the M4 knockout mice. The binding of the muscarinic agonist, [3H]-oxotremorine-M, was reduced in cortical tissue from the M2 knockout mice and to a lesser extent from the M4 knockout mice, and was reduced over 90% in the brain stem of M2 knockout mice. The data demonstrate the usefulness of knockout mice in determining the physiological function of peripheral and central muscarinic receptors.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Elucidating the role of muscarinic receptors in psychosis.

Muscarinic receptors have been implicated in the regulation of cognition and psychosis based on pharmacological evidence from pre-clinical and clinical studies. Muscarinic agonists have shown promise in the clinic in improving cognition and reducing psychotic episodes in Alzheimer's patients. However, lack of selective muscarinic ligands has limited their use due to troublesome side effects observed at higher doses. Without selective ligands, it has been difficult to assign a specific muscarinic receptor subtype to these high order mental processes. Recent development of muscarinic receptor knockout mice has provided additional tools to investigate cognition and psychosis in behavioral assays and to determine the receptor subtypes associated with parasympathomimetic physiology. Biochemical studies indicate that the M1 receptor plays a significant role in regulating G alpha q-mediated signal transduction in the hippocampus and cortex. Behavioral studies suggest that the M4 receptor is involved in movement regulation and prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex, a measure of attention. These findings support a role for the development of M1 and M4 receptor agonists for diseases in which symptoms include cognitive impairment and psychotic behaviors.

Alzheimer Disease↗

PubMed1999

Antinociceptive activity of a 3(2H)-pyridazinone derivative in mice.

The antinociceptive activity of a 3(2H)-pyridazinone derivative (18a) was investigated in mice. 18a administered at doses which did not change either motor coordination or locomotor activity was able to induce antinociceptive effects in four nociceptive tests, the hot plate test, the tail flick test, the writhing test, and the formalin test. In the hot plate and tail flick test, 18a-induced antinociception was observed both after intraperitoneal administration and after intracerebroventricular injection thus indicating 18a has a central site of action. The pretreatment with the opioid antagonist naloxone, the alpha2-antagonist yohimbine or the GABA(B) antagonist CGP 35348 did not change 18a-induced antinociception in the hot plate test and in the tail flick test. Pretreatment with nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine did not change 18a effects either. A reversion of the 18a effects was observed after pretreatment with the muscarinic antagonists atropine and pirenzepine. Binding experiments revealed that 18a binds to muscarinic receptors, suggesting that 18a antinociception is mediated by central muscarinic receptors. The above findings together with the lack of parasympathomimetic cholinergic side effects indicate useful clinical application for this compound.

Analgesics, Non-Narcotic↗