Search results for "Cholinergic"

NANC inhibitory neurotransmission in mouse isolated stomach: Involvement of nitric oxide, ATP and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide

2003

1. The neurotransmitters involved in NANC relaxation and their possible interactions were investigated in mouse isolated stomach, recording the motor responses as changes of endoluminal pressure from whole organ. 2. Field stimulation produced tetrodotoxin-sensitive, frequency-dependent, biphasic responses: rapid transient relaxation followed by a delayed inhibitory component. 3. The inhibitor of the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), L-NAME, abolished the rapid relaxation and significantly reduced the slow relaxation. Apamin, blocker of Ca 2+-dependent K + channels, or ADPβS, which desensitises P 2y purinoceptors, reduced the slow relaxation to 2-8 Hz, without affecting that to 16-32 Hz or the…

Non cholinergic excitatory transmission is enhanced in duodenum from dystrophic (mdx) mice

2004

Rituximab in AChR subtype of myasthenia gravis: systematic review

2020

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction characterised by an autoantibody against acetylcholine receptor (AChR-Ab), autoantibody against muscle-specific kinase (MuSK-Ab), lipoprotein-related protein 4 or agrin in the postsynaptic membrane at the neuromuscular junction. Many patients are resistant to conventional treatment and effective therapies are needed. Rituximab (RTX) is a monoclonal antibody directed against CD20 antigen on B cells which has been successfully employed in anti-MuSK-Ab+MG, but the efficacy in anti-AChR-Ab+MG is still debated. The purpose of this systematic review was to describe the best evidence for RTX in the acetylcholine …

Acetylcholine and Molecular Components of its Synthesis and Release Machinery in the Urothelium

2007

Abstract Objectives Previous studies provided indirect evidence for urothelial synthesis and release of acetylcholine (ACh). We aimed to determine directly the ACh content in the urothelium and to characterize the molecular components of its synthesis and release machinery. Methods The study was performed on mouse bladder and abraded urothelium, and human mucosal bladder biopsies. ACh content was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical. Reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry served to investigate expression of ACh-synthesizing enzymes—choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and carnitine acetyltransferase (CarAT)—vesicular ACh t…

Heterocyclic Scaffolds for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

2016

Background: The treatment and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) are two of the most urgent goals for research around the world. The cognitive decline is generally associated with the elevated levels of extracellular senile plaques, intracellular neurofibril- lary tangles (NFTs), and with a progressive shutdown of the cholinergic basal forebrain neurons transmission. Even if several key targets are under fervent investigation in the cure of AD, till now, the only approved therapeutic strategy is the treatment of symptoms by using cholinesterases inhibitors. It has been demonstrated that both acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) enzymes are not only responsible of…

Recent progress in revealing the biological and medical significance of the non-neuronal cholinergic system.

2015

This special issue of International Immunopharmacology is the proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Non-neuronal Acetylcholine that was held on August 28-30, 2014 at the Justus Liebig University of Giessen in Germany. It contains original contributions of meeting participants covering the significant progress in understanding of the biological and medical significance of the non-neuronal cholinergic system extending from exciting insights into molecular mechanisms regulating this system via miRNAs over the discovery of novel cholinergic cellular signaling circuitries to clinical implications in cancer, wound healing, immunity and inflammation, cardiovascular, respiratory and …

The cholinergic 'pitfall': acetylcholine, a universal cell molecule in biological systems, including humans.

1999

1. Acetylcholine (ACh) represents one of the most exemplary neurotransmitters. In addition to its presence in neuronal tissue, there is increasing experimental evidence that ACh is widely expressed in pro- and eukaryotic non-neuronal cells. Thus, ACh has been detected in bacteria, algae, protozoa, tubellariae and primitive plants, suggesting an extremely early appearance of ACh in the evolutionary process. 2. In humans, ACh and/or the synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase, has been demonstrated in epithelial cells (airways, alimentary tract, urogenital tract, epidermis), mesothelial (pleura, pericardium) and endothelial and muscle cells. In addition, immune cells express the non-ne…

Acetylcholine beyond neurons: the non-neuronal cholinergic system in humans

2008

Animal life is controlled by neurons and in this setting cholinergic neurons play an important role. Cholinergic neurons release ACh, which via nicotinic and muscarinic receptors (n- and mAChRs) mediate chemical neurotransmission, a highly integrative process. Thus, the organism responds to external and internal stimuli to maintain and optimize survival and mood. Blockade of cholinergic neurotransmission is followed by immediate death. However, cholinergic communication has been established from the beginning of life in primitive organisms such as bacteria, algae, protozoa, sponge and primitive plants and fungi, irrespective of neurons. Tubocurarine- and atropine-sensitive effects are obser…

Influence of Drugs on Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease: Evidence from the PACOS Study

2022

Background: Polytherapy and the anticholinergic activity of several drugs negatively influence cognition in the elderly. However, little is known on the effect on Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Methods: Patients with PD belonging to the baseline PACOS cohort with full pharmacological data, have been included in this study. MCI diagnosis was made according to the MDS level II criteria. Polytherapy was defined as patients assuming ≥6 drugs. Anticholinergic burden has been calculated using the Anticholinergic Drug Scale (ADS). Molecules have been classified according to the ATC classification. Association with MCI has been assessed with a multivariate logistic re…

pH-dependent hydrolysis of acetylcholine: Consequences for non-neuronal acetylcholine

2015

Acetylcholine is inactivated by acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase and thereby its cellular signalling is stopped. One distinguishing difference between the neuronal and non-neuronal cholinergic system is the high expression level of the esterase activity within the former and a considerably lower level within the latter system. Thus, any situation which limits the activity of both esterases will affect the non-neuronal cholinergic system to a much greater extent than the neuronal one. Both esterases are pH-dependent with an optimum at pH above 7, whereas at pH values below 6 particularly the specific acetylcholinesterase is more or less inactive. Thus, acetylcholine is prevente…