6533b856fe1ef96bd12b1e5f

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Mammalian glial cells in culture synthesize acetylcholine.

Torsten ReinheimerKurt RackéHolger KlapprothFranz-josef SchneiderIgnaz WesslerRudolf Hammer

subject

Choline O-Acetyltransferasechemistry.chemical_compoundMicemedicineAnimalsNeurotransmitterCells CulturedChromatography High Pressure LiquidPharmacologyAcetylcholine BromideMicrogliabiologyGeneral MedicineRat brainCholine acetyltransferaseEnzyme assayAcetylcholineCell biologyRatsmedicine.anatomical_structurechemistryBiochemistryAnimals NewbornAstrocytesbiology.proteinMicrogliaAcetylcholineAstrocytemedicine.drug

description

In the present study we demonstrate that acetylcholine is synthesized by cultured mammalian glial cells identified by cell-type specific markers. Primary cultures of rat brain astrocytes or microglia contained 2.0 and 1.6 pmol acetylcholine/10(6) cells on average respectively. Astrocyte cultures established from neonatal mouse brain contained even more acetylcholine (about 80 pmol acetylcholine/10(6) cells). Primary cultures of rat brain astrocytes showed choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) enzyme activity of 3 nmol/mg protein/h; ChAT activity was blocked by 10 microM bromoacetylcholine. In conclusion, these data demonstrate the synthesis of the "neurotransmitter" acetylcholine in cultured glial cells, a finding which opens a new view upon the role of acetylcholine in mammalian brain.

10.1007/pl00005107https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9402051