OBJECTIVES To investigate the effects of various muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) antagonists, including selective M2 and M3 mAChR antagonists, on bladder overactivity. It has been proposed that the urothelium modulates the activity of bladder afferent pathways. However, the differential roles of mAChR subtypes in local bladder afferent activation remain unclear. METHODS Cystometry w...

We have determined whether the process of agonist-mediated phosphorylation of the muscarinic receptor correlates with the process of muscarinic receptor desensitization in chick cardiac tissue. Exposure of ventricular slices to the agonist carbachol under conditions previously shown to lead to large increases in muscarinic receptor phosphorylation (Kwatra, M. M., and Hosey, M. M. (1986) J. Biol...

We measured pharmacologically isolated GABAergic currents from layer II/III neurons of the rat auditory cortex using patch-clamp recording. Activation of muscarinic receptors by muscarine (1 microM) or oxotremorine (10 microM) decreased the amplitude of electrically evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents to about one third of their control value. Neither miniature nor exogenously evoked GABAer...

PURPOSE Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) have been implicated in the control of myopia in humans and in animal models. This study was conducted to determine whether mAChRs influence the growth of the chick sclera and, if so, which mAChR subtypes are involved. METHODS Sclera and scleral chondrocytes from normal and form-deprived eyes of 10- to 14-day-old chicks were treated with a t...

Human lung fibroblasts are a potential source of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a pro-fibrotic mediator. The present study explored possible muscarinic and β-adrenergic modulations of ET-1 expression in human lung fibroblasts. MRC-5 human lung fibroblasts were cultured. Expression of prepro-endothelin-1 (ppET-1) mRNA was determined by quantitative real time PCR. [(3)H]-Proline incorporation was determine...

We measured pharmacologically isolated GABAergic currents from layer II/III neurons of the rat auditory cortex using patch-clamp recording. Activation of muscarinic receptors by muscarine (1 μM) or oxotremorine (10 μM) decreased the amplitude of electrically evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents to about one third of their control value. Neither miniature nor exogenously-evoked GABAergic curr...

During development, the innervation of rat sweat glands undergoes a striking change from noradrenergic to cholinergic function. The acquisition of secretory responsiveness by the glands is temporally correlated with the appearance of cholinergic properties. In addition, responsiveness fails to appear in the absence of innervation. To investigate the basis of the onset of functional transmission...

Nicotine is a very widely used drug of abuse, which has many neurovegetative behavioural and psychological effects by interacting with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Cholinergic receptors can be divided into two types, muscarinic and nicotinic, based on the pharmacological action of various agonists and antagonists. This review summarises the major recent findings of nicotine effect...

Repeated administration of nicotine causes a tremor only in the tail (tail-tremor) of rats. The tremor is accompanied with locomotor hyperactivity without rigidity and immobility of the whole body, suggesting the involvement of the mechanism associated with the movement. The tail-tremor induced by nicotine was suppressed by nicotinic acethylcholine (nACh) receptor antagonists, but not by muscar...