Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and Epilepsy

Alcohol's actions on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Although it has been known for many years that alcoholism and tobacco addiction often co-occur, relatively little information is available on the biological factors that regulate the co-use and abuse of nicotine and alcohol. In the brain, nicotine acts at several different types of receptors collectively known as nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Alcohol also acts on at least some of ...

Upregulation and Functionality of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Molecular and Cell Biological Characterisation of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Molecular and cell biological characterisation of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) provides an insight into their functional roles and potential as therapeutic targets for neurological disorders. Nicotinic receptors are oligomeric ligandgated ion channels, comprising five subunits. Twelve vertebrate neuronal nAChR subunits (a2-al0 and (32-|34) have been cloned to date, with c...

Alcohol Modulation of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Is Subunit Dependent

Background: We have previously shown that n-alcohols exert a dual action on the 4 2-type neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (AChRs), with shorter-chain alcohols potentiating and longerchain alcohols inhibiting ACh-induced currents. Ethanol potentiates the current in 4 2 receptors, yet it has little or no effect on the 3 2 receptors. Because the 4 AChRs are present predominantly in...

Nonstereoselective inhibition of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by ketamine isomers.

UNLABELLED We have found that racemic ketamine strongly inhibits the current mediated through neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAchRs) in PC12 cells, a rat pheochromocytoma cell line. Ketamine stereoisomers have different potencies for the anesthetic action, with the S-enantiomer being about 3 times as potent as the R-enantiomer. The purpose of this study was to clarify if the inhibi...