Modulatory role of acetylcholine in the rat pineal gland

1998

Abstract The function of acetylcholine (ACh) in the mammalian pineal gland is unknown. To test the hypothesis that ACh exerts a modulatory role in this organ, in the present study electrophysiogical multiunit recordings were carried out in ex-vivo rat pineal glands superfused with different drugs. It was found that ACh (10 −7 M) as well as the cholinergic agonists oxotremorine (10 −7 M) and nicotine (10 −6 M) increased the discharge rates of most of the spontaneously active units and led to burst activity in previously regularly firing cells. It is concluded that ACh may play a modulatory role in the pineal by influencing the firing of a special population of pineal cells with perhaps recep…