Muscarinic receptor subtypes: do they have a place in clinical anaesthesia?

Muscarinic receptor subtypes in airways.

Muscarinic receptor subtypes in the airways appear to subserve different physiological functions. M1-receptors facilitate neurotransmission through parasympathetic ganglia and enhance cholinergic reflexes, but are also localized to alveolar walls. M2-receptors act as autoreceptors on post-ganglionic cholinergic nerves and inhibit acetylcholine release. There is some evidence that they may be de...

MUSCARINIC RECEPTOR SUBTYPES IN SMOOTH MUSCLE FROM THE BODY OF HUMAN STOMACH

Up to date, there are four pharmacologically characterized subtypes of muscarinic receptors (M1, M2, M3 and M4). In our study we have investigated muscarinic receptor subtypes in smooth muscle layers of human stomach. Isolated preparations of longitudinal and circular muscle layers from human stomach were used. Acetylcholine, bethanechol, carbachol, pilocarpine and AHR -602 produced concen...

Prodrugs. Do they have advantages in clinical practice?

Prodrugs are pharmacologically inactive chemical derivatives of a drug molecule that require a transformation within the body in order to release the active drug. They are designed to overcome pharmaceutical and/or pharmacokinetically based problems associated with the parent drug molecule that would otherwise limit the clinical usefulness of the drug. The scientific rationale, based on clinica...

Muscarinic receptor subtypes in the alimentary tract.

Acetylcholine is a transmitter in preganglionic autonomic and postganglionic parasympathetic nerves and a non-neuronal paracrine mediator in the alimentary tract. Acetylcholine is involved in the control of almost any function within these organ systems, and almost every cell type expresses multiple muscarinic receptor subtypes. Although muscarinic receptors at non-neuronal effector cells commo...

Care, compassion and charity: do they have a place in modern medicine?