Decreased ipsilateral [¹²³I]iododexetimide binding to cortical muscarinic receptors in unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats.

INTRODUCTION: Dysfunction of the cholinergic neurotransmitter system is present in Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's disease related dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies, and is thought to contribute to cognitive deficits in these patients. In vivo imaging of the cholinergic system in these diseases may be of value to monitor central cholinergic disturbances and to select cases in which treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors could be beneficial. The muscarinic receptor tracer [(123)I]iododexetimide, predominantly reflecting M1 receptor binding, may be an appropriate tool for imaging of the cholinergic system by means of SPECT. In this study, we used [(123)I]iododexetimide to study the effects of a 6-hydroxydopamine lesion (an animal model of Parkinson's disease) on the muscarinic receptor availability in the rat brain. METHODS: Rats (n=5) were injected in vivo at 10-13 days after a confirmed unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion. Muscarinic receptor availability was measured bilaterally in multiple brain areas on storage phosphor images by region of interest analysis. RESULTS: Autoradiography revealed a consistent and statistically significant lower [(123)I]iododexetimide binding in all examined neocortical areas on the ipsilateral side of the lesion as compared to the contralateral side. In hippocampal and subcortical areas, such asymmetry was not detected. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that evaluation of muscarinic receptor availability in dopamine depleted brains using [(123)I]iododexetimide is feasible. We conclude that 6-hydroxydopamine lesions induce a decrease of neocortical muscarinic receptor availability. We hypothesize that this arises from down regulation of muscarinic postsynaptic M1 receptors due to hyperactivation of the cortical cholinergic system in response to dopamine depletion. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: In rats, dopamine depletion provokes a decrease in neocortical muscarinic receptor availability, which is evaluable by [(123)I]iododexetimide imaging. IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENT CARE: This study may further underline the role of a dysregulated muscarinic system in patients with Lewy body disorders.

Influence of acetylcholine on binding of 4-[125I]iododexetimide to muscarinic brain receptors.

The distribution of nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the human brain in vivo has been successfully characterized using radiolabeled tracers and emission tomography. The effect of acetylcholine release into the synaptic cleft on receptor binding of these tracers has not yet been investigated. The present study examined the influence of acetylcholine on binding of 4-[125I]iododexetimide to muscarinic cholinergic receptors of porcine brain synaptosomes in vitro. 4-Iododexetimide is a subtype-unspecific muscarinic receptor antagonist with high affinity. Acetylcholine competed with 4-[125I]iododexetimide in a dose-dependent manner. A concentration of 500 microM acetylcholine inhibited 50% of total specific 4-[125I]iododexetimide binding to synaptosomes when both substances were given simultaneously. An 800 microM acetylcholine solution reduced total specific 4-[125I]iododexetimide binding by about 35%, when acetylcholine was given 60 min after incubation of synaptosomes with 4-[125I]iododexetimide. Variations in the synaptic acetylcholine concentration might influence muscarinic cholinergic receptor imaging in vivo using 4-[123I]iododexetimide. Conversely, 4-[123I]iododexetimide might be an appropriate molecule to investigate alterations of acetylcholine release into the synaptic cleft in vivo using single photon emission computed tomography.

Effects of extracellular acetylcholine on muscarinic receptor binding assessed by [125I]dexetimide and a simple probe.

New pharmacologic approaches to enhance brain cholinergic function focus on increasing intrasynaptic acetylcholine. We examined the usefulness of a simple probe and [125I]dexetimide to evaluate in vivo the effects of extracellular acetylcholine on muscarinic receptor binding in the mouse brain. After radiotracer injection continuous time/activity curves were generated over 330 min. [125I]Dexetimide reached a plateau at 90 min post-injection. To increase extracellular acetylcholine, the anticholinesterase physostigmine was administered at 120 min, producing a reversible decrease in [125I]dexetimide specific binding (23%) for 30 min. These findings demonstrate that dynamic changes in extracellular acetylcholine can be evaluated by displacement of [125I]dexetimide binding in vivo using a simple probe system.

In vitro pharmacological properties of 4-bromodexetimide for muscarinic receptors.

The decrease of m-AChR density observed in neurodegenerative disorders has generated considerable interest in non-invasive mapping of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (m-AChR) in the central nervous system. The aim of our study was to evaluate the selectivity of 4-bromodexetimide for the M1, M2, M3 and M4 m-AChR subtypes using in vitro binding analysis to determine the potential use of the bromine-76 labelled 4-bromodexetimide in the investigation of m-AChR subtypes in human brain with Positron Emission Tomography. Subtype selectivity of 4-bromodexetimide was determined in competition studies against tritiated subtype selective ligands using various rat or rabbit structure homogenates reflecting a single binding site and in optimal saturation and low non specific binding conditions. These conditions were reached for every subtype studied by analyzing the data from the saturation experiments of the tritiated ligands. 4-bromodexetimide displayed nanomolar affinities for the four m-AChR subtypes and a preferential selectivity for the M1 and M4 subtypes. The saturation analysis of [76Br]4-bromodexetimide, performed with rat cortex membranes showed high affinity for m-AChR receptors (Kd = 1.8 nM). As in vivo studies of [76Br]4-bromodexetimide showed preferential localization in the cortex and the striatum which are M1 and M4 rich structures and since it binds preferentially to the M1 and M4 subtypes, this radiotracer can still allow a combined subtype specific measurement of these muscarinic receptors.

Evaluation of a purification procedure for the muscarinic receptor for the purpose of quantitative receptor assays of anticholinergics. Part A: The membrane-bound receptor.

The presented purification procedure for the muscarinic receptor from calf striatum includes the extraction of lipids with hexane in the first step and the removal of 39% of non-receptor proteins with 2 M NaCl in the second step. The simplicity of such an approach to the purification of the receptor warrants its use in the routine practice for quantitative purposes. The high affinity binding of tertiary 3H-dexetimide (3H-DEX) and quaternary 3H-N-methylscopolamine (3H-NMS) is preserved after the removal of irrelevant lipids and proteins from the P2-pellet. The overall yield of receptors--80%, when labelled with 3H-NMS, was satisfactory. Moreover, the final product, the NaCl-pellet, exerts a higher density of 3H-NMS binding sites per mg proteins by a factor of about 1.7. The overall yield of receptors and purification factor were lower, when measured with 3H-DEX. The total yield of 3H-DEX binding sites amounted to about 40% and the receptor density per mg protein decreased by a factor of 0.85. We did not succeed in the improvement of the ratio specific/non-specific binding, neither for 3H-DEX nor for 3H-NMS for the purified receptor preparations. The use of 3H-NMS is preferable to 3H-DEX in plasma sample assays because of a negligible effect of plasma on ligand binding when compared with 3H-DEX.

Evaluation of a purification procedure for the muscarinic receptor for the purpose of quantitative receptor assays of anticholinergics. Part B: The solubilized receptor.

For the purpose of quantitative receptor assays, a three-step solubilization procedure including three optimization sets for muscarinic receptor from calf striatum was developed. The first step includes the extraction of the P2-pellet with n-hexane and consequently with 2 M NaCl. By the latter, 39% of non-receptor proteins was extracted. The resulting pellet (NaCl-pellet), enriched in muscarinic receptors by a factor of 1.5-1.7, was solubilized with 1% digitonin. The binding parameters of the solubilized receptor were determined for the tertiary 3H-dexetimide (3H-DEX) and the quaternary 3H-N-methylscopolamine (3H-NMS). The resulting receptor density measured with 3H-dexetimide was lower (43.3% of that for the NaCl-pellet) than that for 3H-N-methyl-scopolamine (56.7%). The treatment with digitonin preserved the high affinity for 3H-N-methylscopolamine (Kd = 0.645 nM), however the affinity of 3H-dexetimide decreased after solubilization (Kd = 8.526 nM). The use of solubilized receptors in combination with hydrophilic 3H-NMS allows to increase the ratio specific/non-specific binding, since the non-specific binding for this ligand to the solubilized preparation is lower when compared with membrane-bound receptors. The above solubilization procedure was found preferable over directly solubilizing the P2-pellet since (a) the receptor density for 3H-NMS was higher for the solubilized NaCl-pellet by a factor of about 1.7, and (b) the treatment of the P2-pellet with digitonin resulted in a lowering of the Kd to 2.422 nM. However, with respect to the plasma effect on the ligand binding, both solubilized preparations give similar results. The use of the solubilized NaCl-pellet or the P2-pellet can considerably improve the quantitative receptor assays of plasma samples. Unlike the membrane-bound receptor, a high volume of plasma, such as 400 microliters, can be added to the assay without any influence on the 3H-DEX binding when solubilized preparation is used.

Selective labeling and localization of the M4 (m4) muscarinic receptor subtype.

We report here a novel strategy for the selective labeling and localization of the M4 (m4) muscarinic receptor subtype, based on the distinct kinetics of the muscarinic antagonists dexetimide and N-methylscopolamine (NMS) and on the selectivity profile of guanylpirenzepine and AF-DX 116 for the m1-m5 muscarinic receptor subtypes expressed in CHO-K1 cells. Incubation with 10 nM dexetimide, a nonselective antagonist, resulted in > 90% occupancy of each of the m1-m5 receptor subtypes. The relatively rapid rates of dexetimide dissociation from the m1, m2, and m4 receptor subtypes (t1/2 values of < 12.5 min) and the slower rates of dexetimide dissociation from the m3 and m5 receptor subtypes (t1/2 values of 65 and 75 min, respectively) favored the labeling of the m1, m2, and m4 receptor subtypes with short incubations with [3H]NMS. Inclusion of 200 nM guanylpirenzepine and 250 nM AF-DX 116 prevented the binding of [3H]NMS to the majority of the m1 and m2 receptor subtypes, respectively, resulting in primary labeling of the m4 receptor subtype. Brief dissociation of the radioligand in the presence of 1 microM atropine improved the ratio of m4 to m2 labeling by selectively removing [3H]NMS from the m2 subtype. Under these conditions, the ratio of [3H]NMS binding to the m4 versus m1, m2, m3, and m5 receptor subtypes was 4:1. In vitro autoradiography combined with these m4-selective labeling conditions demonstrated that the M4 (m4) receptor subtype was localized to the primary visual area (V1, area 17, occipital cortex) and the basal ganglia, a distribution distinct from that demonstrated for the M1 (m1), M2 (m2), and M3 (m3) receptor subtypes. These results demonstrate that a combination of the distinct kinetics of dexetimide and NMS and the receptor subtype selectivity of guanylpirenzepine and AF-DX 116 provides a valuable labeling strategy to examine the distribution and localization of the M4 (m4) muscarinic receptor subtype in brain, peripheral tissues, and cell lines.

Assessment of brain muscarinic acetylcholinergic receptors in living mice using a simple probe, [125I]-4-iododexetimide and [125I]-4-iodolevetimide.

This study describes assessment of brain muscarinic acetylcholinergic receptors in living mice using a single-crystal radiation detection system, the high-affinity antagonist [125I]-4-iododexetimide, and the inactive enantiomer [125I]-4-iodolevetimide. Kinetics of radioligand binding, as well as perturbation by atropine displacement, can be determined using this simple probe technique.

Decreased hippocampal muscarinic cholinergic receptor binding measured by 123I-iododexetimide and single-photon emission computed tomography in epilepsy.

Regional binding of 123I-iododexetimide, a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, was measured in vivo in the temporal lobes of 4 patients with complex partial seizures using single-photon emission computed tomography. In the anterior hippocampus ipsilateral to the electrical focus, 123I-iododexetimide binding was decreased by 40 +/- 9% (mean +/- SD, p < 0.01) compared with the contralateral hippocampus; 123I-iododexetimide binding in other temporal lobe regions was symmetrical. The data indicate a regionally specific change of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor in anterior hippocampus in complex partial seizures of temporal lobe origin.

In vivo biodistribution of two [18F]-labelled muscarinic cholinergic receptor ligands: 2-[18F]- and 4-[18F]-fluorodexetimide.

Two [18F]-labelled analogues of the potent muscarinic cholinergic receptor (m-AChR) antagonist, dexetimide, were evaluated as potential ligands for imaging m-AChR by positron emission tomography (PET). Intravenous administration of both 2-[18F]- or 4-[18F]-fluorodexetimide resulted in high brain uptake of radioactivity in mice. High binding levels were observed in m-AChR rich areas, such as cortex and striatum, with low levels in the receptor-poor cerebellum. Uptake of radioactivity was saturable and could be blocked by pre-administration of dexetimide or atropine. Drugs with different sites of action were ineffective at blocking receptor binding. The results indicate that both radiotracers are promising candidates for use in PET studies.

Effects of atropine treatment on in vitro and in vivo binding of 4-[125I]-dexetimide to central and myocardial muscarinic receptors.

Upregulation of muscarinic cholinergic receptors (mAChR) after chronic atropine treatment has been described previously. The present study was designed to evaluate 4-iodine-125 dexetimide as an agent to determine changes in the number of mAChR. Rats were injected subcutaneously with atropine (500 mg/kg) either once or chronically, once daily for 10 days, and sacrificed 24 h later. In vitro binding assays with 4-[125I]-dexetimide showed significant increases in the number of mAChR in cerebra (21%) and ventricles (45%) after chronic atropine treatment but not after acute treatment. The affinity of binding to cerebral and ventricular mAChR declined after acute and chronic atropine treatment. In vivo studies were carried out involving intravenous injection of 4-[125I]-dexetimide 24 h after atropine treatment. Binding was markedly reduced in the brain and heart. Upregulation of mAChR, as seen in in vitro studies, could not be observed because of the remaining atropine. Occupancy of mAChR by atropine persisted as long as 7 days after one dose. The results of these studies indicate that 4-[125I]-dexetimide binding reflects the effects of atropine on central and peripheral muscarinic cholinergic receptors in vitro and in vivo.

Binding of dexetimide and levetimide to [3H](+)pentazocine- and [3H]1,3-di(2-tolyl)guanidine-defined sigma recognition sites.

The potent antimuscarinic benzetimide and its resolved stereoisomers dexetimide and levetimide were tested for their affinities at sigma sites labelled by [3H](+)pentazocine or [3H]1,3-di(2-tolyl)guanidine. Levetimide was a potent and stereoselective inhibitor of [3H](+)pentazocine binding, with a Ki of 2.2 nM, while dexetimide was nine-fold less potent (Ki = 19 nM). Dexetimide and levetimide potently inhibited [3H]DTG binding although without stereoselectivity (Ki values of 65 and 103 nM, respectively). Levetimide may be a useful tool with which to investigate sigma recognition sites and sigma subtypes.

Muscarinic M2 receptors in bovine tracheal smooth muscle: discrepancies between binding and function.

Previous work showing that AF-DX 116, a cardioselective muscarinic antagonist in functional experiments, does not discriminate between muscarinic receptors in bovine cardiac and tracheal membranes has been extended. In addition to AF-DX 116 we used the muscarinic antagonists, atropine, pirenzepine, 4-DAMP methobromide, gallamine, hexahydrosiladifenidol and methoctramine, in radioligand binding experiments on bovine cardiac left ventricular and tracheal smooth muscle membranes. The functional antagonism of the methacholine-induced contraction of bovine tracheal smooth muscle strips was also evaluated. An excellent correlation was found for all compounds between the binding affinities for muscarinic receptors in cardiac and tracheal smooth muscle membranes; moreover, the affinities found in cardiac membranes correspond with the pA2 values reported for atrial preparations of rat and guinea pig. However, significant and occasionally marked discrepancies were found between binding and functional affinities of these muscarinic antagonists on bovine tracheal smooth muscle.

A human embryonic lung fibroblast with a high density of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

Binding studies with the radiolabeled muscarinic antagonists dexetimide, quinuclidinyl benzilate and N-methylscopolamine showed that the human embryonic lung fibroblast CCL137 possesses approximately 2 X 10(5) muscarinic receptors/cell, i.e. 2.1 pmol/mg membrane protein. These receptors showed a marked stereoselectivity towards dexetimide and levetimide and only low affinity for another antagonist, pirenzepine. The muscarinic agonist carbamylcholine inhibited forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase and induced phosphatidylinositide turnover in the intact cells. Both effects were inhibited by the muscarinic antagonist atropine. Affinity labeling with tritiated propylbenzylcholine mustard revealed a protein of 72 kDa. Finally, down-regulation of the membrane receptors following prolonged treatment with the agonist carbamylcholine was assessed by means of the hydrophilic antagonist N-methylscopolamine.

The M2 selective antagonist AF-DX 116 shows high affinity for muscarine receptors in bovine tracheal membranes.

We have characterized the muscarine receptors in bovine tracheal and left ventricular membranes using 3H-dexetimide/pirenzepine and 3H-dexetimide/AF-DX 116 competition studies. Pirenzepine exhibited low (M2) affinity binding to both preparations; Kd was 590 nM in left ventricle and 463 nM in trachea. AF-DX 116 exhibited high (M2) affinity binding to left ventricle (Kd = 95.6 nM); in tracheal membranes it bound with high (M2) affinity (Kd = 40.7 nM) to 74% of the receptors and with low (M3) affinity (Kd = 2.26 microM) to 26% of the receptors. It is concluded that bovine tracheal muscle membranes contain a heterogeneous population of muscarine binding sites, the majority having M2 (heart) subtype characteristics and being located on the smooth muscle membranes; a minority having M3 (exocrine gland) subtype characteristics and presumed to be located in submucosal glands. This is the first report of high affinity binding of AF-DX 116 to non-cardiac peripheral muscarine receptors.

Muscarinic receptors of the vascular bed: radioligand binding studies on bovine splenic veins.

Despite an obvious lack of parasympathetic innervation to the spleen, pharmacological evidence suggests the presence of cholinergic receptors in isolated bovine splenic veins. We therefore studied muscarinic cholinergic binding sites in a bovine splenic vein preparation by direct radioligand binding techniques using [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) as radioactive probe. Saturation experiments indicated one homogeneous class of high-affinity binding sites, with a KD of 0.11 nM and a binding site density Bmax of 55 fmol/mg protein. The rate constants at 37 degrees C for formation and dissociation of the [3H]QNB receptor complex were 2.7 X 10(9) M-1 h-1 and 0.38 h-1, respectively, yielding a KD of 0.14 nM. The binding sites showed a high stereospecificity, which was evident from competition experiments with dexetimide (KI = 1.3 nM) and levetimide (KI = 4.6 microM). In competition experiments with muscarinic and nicotinic antagonists and some antidepressants, only one binding site was found, whereas with muscarinic agonists, two binding sites were detected. In the presence of 0.1 mM guanyl-imido-diphosphate, only one binding site could be identified with the muscarinic agonist carbamylcholine. The affinity of [3H]QNB, on the other hand, was slightly decreased, and Bmax values were unchanged. It is concluded that specific, saturable, high-affinity muscarinic binding sites in the bovine splenic vein have been identified and characterized that exhibit properties similar to cholinergic receptors of brain and peripheral tissues and probably mediate acetylcholine-induced relaxation of splenic veins.

In vivo and in vitro studies on the regulation of cholinergic neurotransmission in striatum, hippocampus and cortex of aged rats.

Young (3 months) and senescent (23 months) rats were challenged with oxotremorine both in vivo, to determine its effects on acetylcholine content in hemispheric regions, and in vitro, to assess its action on K+-evoked release of ACh from brain synaptosomes. The drug failed to inhibit KCl-induced [3H]ACh release from the P2 fraction of striatal and hippocampal homogenates of the senescent animals, whereas it was less efficient in increasing striatal ACh content. In contrast, oxotremorine was still able to stimulate an increase in ACh in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of the aged rats to the same extent as it did in the young ones. The [3H]ACh output from striatal synaptosomes was lower in old rats with respect to young ones at low KCl depolarizing concentrations but was equal in the two groups at a high depolarizing concentration. In the hippocampus of the senescent rats, the release was significantly lower at each concentration of KCl used, resulting in a parallel downward-shift in the concentration-release plot. We also measured cholinergic muscarinic receptor binding in rat hemispheric regions using the radioligand [3H]dexetimide, a classical non-selective muscarinic receptor antagonist. It was found, in conformity with some of the literature, that receptor binding was decreased by about 32% in striatum of aged female rats as compared to younger rats. Changes were not observed in cortex and hippocampus. Analysis of the binding data indicated that the observed decrease in specific ligand binding was due to a decrease in the number of binding sites without a change in affinity. The results favor, once again, the cholinergic hypothesis for geriatric dysfunction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cholinergic receptors in the upper respiratory system of the rat.

Radioligand receptor binding might give more detailed information on the innervation pattern of the nasal mucosa and the character of the various neuroreceptors involved. With respect to the cholinergic receptors, this technique reveals that specific binding of tritiated I-quinuclidinyl benzilate to rat nasal mucosa homogenates occurs to a homogeneous class of binding sites, with a dissociation constant of 0.06 +/- 0.02 nM and a receptor density of 8 +/- 2 pmole/g of tissue. Binding is stereoselectively inhibited by benzetimide hydrochloride enantiomers. Pirenzepine displacement (inhibition constant = 0.5 X 10(-6) M) classifies tritiated I-quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites as M2-muscarinic receptors. Methylfurthrethonium inhibits tritiated I-quinuclidinyl benzilate binding at high concentrations, pointing to the presence of low-affinity agonist binding sites, probably admixed with a small proportion of high-affinity agonist binding sites. These data obtained in the rat open new perspectives for studying muscarinic receptors in the human nose to elucidate the supposed disturbance of autonomic nerve regulation in nasal hyperreactivity.

Different subcellular localization of muscarinic and serotonin (S2) receptors in human, dog, and rat brain.

Cortex from rat, dog, and human brain was submitted to subcellular fractionation using an analytical approach consisting of a two-step procedure. First, fractions were obtained by differential centrifugation and were analyzed for their content of serotonin S2 and muscarinic receptors, serotonin uptake, and marker enzymes. Second, the cytoplasmic extracts were subfractionated by equilibration in sucrose density gradient. In human brain, serotonin and muscarinic receptors were found associated mostly with mitochondrial fractions which contain synaptosomes, whereas in rat brain they were concentrated mainly in the microsomal fractions. Density gradient centrifugation confirmed a more marked synaptosomal localization of receptors in human than in rat brain, the dog displaying an intermediate profile. In human brain, indeed, more receptor sites were found to be associated with the second peak characterized in electron microscopy by the largest number of nerve terminals. In addition, synaptosomes from human brain are denser than those from rat brain and some marker enzymes reveal different subcellular distribution in the three species. These data indicate that more receptors are of synaptosomal nature in human brain than in other species and this finding is compatible with a larger amount of synaptic contacts in human brain.

Muscarinic cholinergic receptors in pancreatic acinar carcinoma of rat.

The active enantiomer of tritiated quinuclidinyl benzilate (3H(-)QNB) was used as a ligand to evaluate the muscarinic receptors. The 3H(-)QNB binding characteristics of muscarinic cholinergic receptors obtained from normal and neoplastic tissues were studied to determine changes in receptor properties during neoplastic transformation. Saturable and stereospecific binding sites for 3H(-)QNB are present in homogenates of rat pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The proportions of high- and low-affinity agonist binding sites are similar for neoplastic and normal tissues. The density of muscarinic receptors is higher in neoplastic (200 femtomoles/mg protein) than in normal pancreatic homogenates (80 femtomoles/mg protein). The muscarinic binding sites of the neoplastic and fetal pancreas show similar KD values which are higher than those observed for normal pancreas.