Neuroactive steroids, WIN-compounds and cholesterol share a common binding site on muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

Endogenous neurosteroids and their synthetic analogues-neuroactive steroids-have been found to bind to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors and allosterically modulate acetylcholine binding and function. Using radioligand binding experiments we investigated their binding mode. We show that neuroactive steroids bind to two binding sites on muscarinic receptors. Their affinity for the high-affinity binding site is about 100 nM. Their affinity for the low-affinity binding site is about 10 µM. The high-affinity binding occurs at the same site as binding of steroid-based WIN-compounds that is different from the common allosteric binding site for alcuronium or gallamine that is located between the second and third extracellular loop of the receptor. This binding site is also different from the allosteric binding site for the structurally related aminosteroid-based myorelaxants pancuronium and rapacuronium. Membrane cholesterol competes with neurosteroids/neuroactive steroids binding to both high- and low-affinity binding site, indicating that both sites are oriented towards the cell membrane..

The muscarinic antagonist gallamine induces proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells regardless of the cell phenotype.

BACKGROUND: Muscarinic receptor antagonists are a usual treatment for chronic airway diseases, with increased bronchoconstriction, like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These diseases are usually accompanied by airway remodeling, involving airway smooth muscle cell (ASMC) proliferation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the muscarinic receptor modulator gallamine on rabbit tracheal ASMC proliferation. METHODS: ASMCs were incubated with gallamine (1 nM-10 mM), atropine (1 fM-10 mM), and/or acetylcholine (1 nM-1 mM), in the presence or absence of FBS (1% or 10%). Cell proliferation was estimated by incorporation of radioactive thymidine, the Cell Titer AQueous One Solution method and cell number counting after Trypan blue exclusion. The mechanisms mediating cell proliferation were studied using the PI3K and MAPK inhibitors LY294002 (20 µM) and PD98059 (100 µM), respectively. Cell phenotype was studied by indirect immunofluorescence for α-actin, Myosin Heavy Chain and desmin. RESULTS: ASMC incubation with the muscarinic receptor allosteric modulator gallamine or the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine increased methyl-[3H]thymidine incorporation and cell number in a dose-dependent manner. ASMC proliferation was mediated via PI3K and MAPK activation and was transient. Gallamine antagonized the mitogenic effect of 1% FBS. Furthermore, gallamine had a similar effect on contractile ASMCs, without synergizing with or affecting acetylcholine induced proliferation, or altering the percentage of ASMCs expressing contractile phenotype marker proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Gallamine, in the absence of any agonist, has a transient mitogenic effect on ASMCs, regardless of the cell phenotype, mediated by the PI3K and the MAPK signaling pathways.

The allosteric site regulates the voltage sensitivity of muscarinic receptors.

Muscarinic receptors (M-Rs) for acetylcholine (ACh) belong to the class A of G protein-coupled receptors. M-Rs are activated by orthosteric agonists that bind to a specific site buried in the M-R transmembrane helix bundle. In the active conformation, receptor function can be modulated either by allosteric modulators, which bind to the extracellular receptor surface or by the membrane potential via an unknown mechanism. Here, we compared the modulation of M1-Rs and M3-Rs induced by changes in voltage to their allosteric modulation by chemical compounds. We quantified changes in receptor signaling in single HEK 293 cells with a FRET biosensor for the Gq protein cycle. In the presence of ACh, M1-R signaling was potentiated by voltage, similarly to positive allosteric modulation by benzyl quinolone carboxylic acid. Conversely, signaling of M3-R was attenuated by voltage or the negative allosteric modulator gallamine. Because the orthosteric site is highly conserved among M-Rs, but allosteric sites vary, we constructed "allosteric site" M3/M1-R chimeras and analyzed their voltage dependencies. Exchanging the entire allosteric sites eliminated the voltage sensitivity of ACh responses for both receptors, but did not affect their modulation by allosteric compounds. Furthermore, a point mutation in M3-Rs caused functional uncoupling of the allosteric and orthosteric sites and abolished voltage dependence. Molecular dynamics simulations of the receptor variants indicated a subtype-specific crosstalk between both sites, involving the conserved tyrosine lid structure of the orthosteric site. This molecular crosstalk leads to receptor subtype-specific voltage effects.

In vitro effects of the organophosphorus pesticide malathion on the reactivity of rat aorta.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a remarkable paucity of studies analyzing the role of the endothelium-derived relaxing factors on the vascular effects of organophosphates. This study was carried out to evaluate the vascular effects of malathion and the role of nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2). METHODS: Vascular reactivity measuring isometric forces in vitro ('organ chambers') and flow cytometry (cells loaded with DAF-FM DA) were used. RESULTS: In rat thoracic aorta segments contracted with phenylephrine (Phe) (10(-7) mol/l), malathion (10(-10) to 10(-5) mol/l) induced concentration-dependent relaxation in arteries with intact endothelium (n = 7; p < 0.05). Malathion-mediated relaxation was blocked by N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 10(-4) mol/l), a nonspecific NO synthase inhibitor, and/or indomethacin (10(-5) mol/l), a nonspecific cyclooxygenase inhibitor (n = 10, p < 0.05). In thoracic aorta rings, with and without endothelium, Phe (10(-10) to 10(-5) mol/l) evoked concentration-dependent contraction, which was reduced in the presence of malathion. In rings with or without endothelium, incubated with malathion, L-NAME and indomethacin, the Phe-induced contraction was restored. The role of NO was confirmed using flow cytometry. Malathion evokes endothelium-dependent relaxation through the M1 muscarinic receptor, since this relaxation was clearly blocked by atropine (M1 and M2 blocker) and pirenzepine (M1 blocker), but was less blocked by gallamine (M2 blocker) or 4-DAMP (M3 blocker). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the organophosphate compound effects on vascular reactivity depend of NO and PGI2.

Pharmacological evidence that 5-HT1A/1B/1D, α2-adrenoceptors and D2-like receptors mediate ergotamine-induced inhibition of the vasopressor sympathetic outflow in pithed rats.

The sympathetic nervous system that innervates the peripheral circulation is regulated by several mechanisms/receptors. It has been reported that prejunctional 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT1D, D2-like receptors and α2-adrenoceptors mediate the inhibition of the vasopressor sympathetic outflow in pithed rats. In addition, ergotamine, an antimigraine drug, displays affinity at the above receptors and may explain some of its adverse/therapeutic effects. Thus, the aims of this study were to investigate in pithed rats: (i) whether ergotamine produces inhibition of the vasopressor sympathetic outflow; and (ii) the major receptors involved in this effect. For this purpose, male Wistar pithed rats were pre-treated with gallamine (25 mg/kg; i.v.) and desipramine (50 µg/kg) and prepared to stimulate the vasopressor sympathetic outflow (T7-T9; 0.03-3 Hz) or to receive i.v. bolus of exogenous noradrenaline (0.03-3 µg/kg). I.v. continuous infusions of ergotamine (1 and 1.8 µg/kgmin) dose-dependently inhibited the vasopressor responses to sympathetic stimulation but not those to exogenous noradrenaline. The sympatho-inhibition elicited by 1.8 µg/kg min ergotamine was (i) unaffected by saline (1 ml/kg); (ii) partially antagonised by WAY 100635 (5-HT1A; 30 µg/kg) and rauwolscine (α2-adrenoceptor; 300 µg/kg), and (iii) dose-dependently blocked by GR 127935 (5-HT1B/1D; 100 and 300 µg/kg) or raclopride (D2-like; 300 and 1000 µg/kg), The above doses of antagonists did not modify per se the sympathetically-induced vasopressor responses. The above results suggest that ergotamine induces inhibition of the vasopressor sympathetic outflow by activation of prejunctional 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B/1D, α2-adrenoceptors and D2-like receptors in pithed rats.

Reduced palatability in pain-induced conditioned taste aversions.

The current study investigated whether internal pain-inducing agents can modulate palatability of a tastant in the same way as illness-inducing agents (e.g., lithium chloride). Similar to traditional conditioned taste aversion (CTA) experiments, during conditioning the rats were exposed to a saccharin solution followed by intraperitoneal injections of either gallamine (Experiment 1) or hypertonic sodium chloride (NaCl; Experiments 1 and 2). In addition to the total amount consumed, the time of each lick was recorded for lick pattern analysis. The results showed that both gallamine and hypertonic NaCl caused suppression in saccharin intake. Importantly, both lick cluster size and initial lick rate (the measures of taste palatability) were reduced as well. This pattern of results suggests that these pain-inducing agents reduce the hedonic value of the associated tastant and thus CTA is acquired. The current finding serves as evidence supporting the view that CTA is a broadly tuned mechanism that can be triggered by changes in internal body states following consummatory experience.

Exploration of the orthosteric/allosteric interface in human M1 muscarinic receptors by bitopic fluorescent ligands.

Bitopic binding properties apply to a variety of muscarinic compounds that span and simultaneously bind to both the orthosteric and allosteric receptor sites. We provide evidence that fluorescent pirenzepine derivatives, with the M1 antagonist fused to the boron-dipyrromethene [Bodipy (558/568)] fluorophore via spacers of varying lengths, exhibit orthosteric/allosteric binding properties at muscarinic M1 receptors. This behavior was inferred from a combination of functional, radioligand, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer binding experiments performed under equilibrium and kinetic conditions on enhanced green fluorescent protein-fused M1 receptors. Although displaying a common orthosteric component, the fluorescent compounds inherit bitopic properties from a linker-guided positioning of their Bodipy moiety within the M1 allosteric vestibule. Depending on linker length, the fluorophore is allowed to reach neighboring allosteric domains, overlapping or not with the classic gallamine site, but distinct from the allosteric indolocarbazole "WIN" site. Site-directed mutagenesis, as well as molecular modeling and ligand docking studies based on recently solved muscarinic receptor structures, further support the definition of two groups of Bodipy-pirenzepine derivatives exhibiting distinct allosteric binding poses. Thus, the linker may dictate pharmacological outcomes for bitopic molecules that are hardly predictable from the properties of individual orthosteric and allosteric building blocks. Our findings also demonstrate that the fusion of a fluorophore to an orthosteric ligand is not neutral, as it may confer, unless carefully controlled, unexpected properties to the resultant fluorescent tracer. Altogether, this study illustrates the importance of a "multifacet" experimental approach to unravel and validate bitopic ligand binding mechanisms.

Cross-talk between transforming growth factor-ß1 and muscarinic M2 receptors augments airway smooth muscle proliferation.

Transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) is a central mediator in tissue remodeling processes, including fibrosis and airway smooth muscle (ASM) hyperplasia, as observed in asthma. The mechanisms underlying this response, however, remain unclear because TGF-ß1 exerts only weak mitogenic effects on ASM cells. In this study, we hypothesized that the mitogenic effect of TGF-ß1 on ASM is indirect and requires prolonged exposure to allow for extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. To address this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of acute and prolonged treatment with TGF-ß1, alone and in combination with the muscarinic receptor agonist methacholine, on human ASM cell proliferation. Acutely, TGF-ß1 exerted no mitogenic effect. However, prolonged treatment (for 7 d) with TGF-ß1 increased ASM cell proliferation and potentiated the platelet-derived growth factor-induced mitogenic response. Muscarinic receptor stimulation with methacholine synergistically enhanced the effect of TGF-ß1. Interestingly, the integrin-blocking peptide Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser, as well as integrin α5ß1 function-blocking antibodies, inhibited the effects of TGF-ß1 and its combination with methacholine on cell proliferation. Accordingly, prolonged treatment with TGF-ß1 increased fibronectin expression, which was also synergistically enhanced by methacholine. The synergistic effects of methacholine on TGF-ß1-induced proliferation were reduced by the long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonist tiotropium and the M2 receptor subtype-selective antagonist gallamine, but not the M3-selective antagonist DAU5884. In line with these findings, the irreversible Gi protein inhibitor pertussis toxin also prevented the potentiation of TGF-ß1-induced proliferation by methacholine. We conclude that prolonged exposure to TGF-ß1 enhances ASM cell proliferation, which is mediated by extracellular matrix-integrin interactions, and which can be enhanced by muscarinic M2 receptor stimulation.

Heterotropic cooperativity within and between protomers of an oligomeric M(2) muscarinic receptor.

At least four allosteric sites have been found to mediate the dose-dependent effects of gallamine on the binding of [(3)H]quinuclidinylbenzilate (QNB) and N-[(3)H]methylscopolamine (NMS) to M(2) muscarinic receptors in membranes and solubilized preparations from porcine atria, CHO cells, and Sf9 cells. The rate of dissociation of [(3)H]QNB was affected in a bell-shaped manner with at least one Hill coefficient (n(H)) greater than 1, indicating that at least three allosteric sites are involved. The level of binding of [(3)H]QNB was decreased in a biphasic manner, revealing at least two allosteric sites; binding of [(3)H]NMS was affected in a triphasic, serpentine manner, revealing at least three sites, and values of n(H) >1 pointed to at least four sites. Several lines of evidence indicate that all effects of gallamine were allosteric in nature and could be observed at equilibrium. The rates of equilibration and dissociation suggest that the receptor was predominately oligomeric, and the heterogeneity revealed by gallamine can be attributed to differences in its affinity for the constituent protomers of a tetramer. Those differences appear to arise from inter- and intramolecular cooperativity between gallamine and the radioligand.

M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors regulate long-term potentiation at hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cell synapses in an input-specific fashion.

Muscarinic receptors have long been known as crucial players in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory, but our understanding of the cellular underpinnings and the receptor subtypes involved lags well behind. This holds in particular for the hippocampal CA3 region, where the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity depend on the type of afferent input. Williams and Johnston (Williams S, Johnston D. Science 242: 84-87, 1988; Williams S, Johnston D. J Neurophysiol 64: 1089-1097, 1990) demonstrated muscarinic depression of mossy fiber (MF) long-term potentiation (LTP) through a presynaptic site of action and Maeda et al. (Maeda T, Kaneko S, Satoh M. Brain Res 619: 324-330, 1993) proposed a bidirectional modulation of MF LTP by muscarinic receptor subtypes. Since then, this issue, as well as muscarinic regulation of plasticity at associational/commissural (A/C) fiber-CA3 synapses has remained largely neglected, not least because of the lack of highly selective ligands for the different muscarinic receptor subtypes. In the present study, we performed field potential and whole cell recordings from the hippocampal CA3 region of M(2) receptor knockout mice to determine the role of M(2) receptors in short-term and long-term plasticity at A/C and MF inputs to CA3 pyramidal cells. At the A/C synapse, M(2) receptors promoted short-term facilitation and LTP. Unexpectedly, M(2) receptors mediated the opposite effect on LTP at the MF synapse, which was significantly reduced, most likely involving a depressant effect of M(2) receptors on adenylyl cyclase activity in MF terminals. Our data demonstrate that cholinergic projections recruit M(2) receptors to redistribute the gain of LTP in CA3 pyramidal cells in an input-specific manner.

Peculiar effects of muscarinic M1, M2, and M3 receptor blockers on cardiac chronotropic function in neonatal rats.

The effects of muscarinic M(1), M(2), and M(3) cholinergic receptor blockade on the regulation of chronotropic function of the heart were studied in vivo in 7-day-old rat pups. Intravenous injection of M(2) receptor blocker gallamine produced no changes in cardiac chronotropy. In contrast, M(1) receptor blocker pirenzepine and M(3) receptor blocker 4DAMP provoked bradycardia. These data attest to the involvement of M(1) and especially M(3) cholinergic receptors in the regulation of cardiac chronotropy in rat pups, which confirms the view on pronounced species-specific and age-related peculiarities in the heart control mechanisms.

Role of TNF-α in virus-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and neuronal M2 muscarinic receptor dysfunction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Infections with respiratory viruses induce exacerbations of asthma, increase acetylcholine release and potentiate vagally mediated bronchoconstriction by blocking inhibitory M2 muscarinic receptors on parasympathetic neurons. Here we test whether virus-induced M2 receptor dysfunction and airway hyperresponsiveness are tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) dependent. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Guinea pigs were pretreated with etanercept or phosphate-buffered saline 24 h before intranasal infection with parainfluenza. Four days later, pulmonary inflation pressure, heart rate and blood pressure were measured. M2 receptor function was assessed by the potentiation by gallamine (an M2 receptor antagonist) of bronchoconstriction caused by electrical stimulation of the vagus nerves and measured as increased pulmonary inflation pressure. Human airway epithelial cells were infected with influenza and TNF-α concentration in supernatant was measured before supernatant was applied to human neuroblastoma cells. M2 receptor expression in these neuroblastoma cells was measured by qRT-PCR. KEY RESULTS: Influenza-infected animals were hyperresponsive to vagal stimulation but not to intravenous ACh. Gallamine did not potentiate vagally induced bronchoconstriction in virus-infected animals, indicating M2 receptor dysfunction. Etanercept prevented virus-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and M2 receptor dysfunction, without changing lung viral titres. Etanercept caused a non-significant decrease in total cells, macrophages and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage. Influenza infection significantly increased TNF-α release from isolated epithelial cells, sufficient to decrease M2 receptors in neuroblastoma cells. This ability of supernatants from infected epithelial cells to inhibit M2 receptor expression was blocked by etanercept. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: TNF-α is a key mediator of virus-induced M2 muscarinic receptor dysfunction and airway hyperresponsiveness.

A novel fast mechanism for GPCR-mediated signal transduction--control of neurotransmitter release.

Reliable neuronal communication depends on accurate temporal correlation between the action potential and neurotransmitter release. Although a requirement for Ca(2+) in neurotransmitter release is amply documented, recent studies have shown that voltage-sensitive G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are also involved in this process. However, how slow-acting GPCRs control fast neurotransmitter release is an unsolved question. Here we examine whether the recently discovered fast depolarization-induced charge movement in the M(2)-muscarinic receptor (M(2)R) is responsible for M(2)R-mediated control of acetylcholine release. We show that inhibition of the M(2)R charge movement in Xenopus oocytes correlated well with inhibition of acetylcholine release at the mouse neuromuscular junction. Our results suggest that, in addition to Ca(2+) influx, charge movement in GPCRs is also necessary for release control.

A fluorescence anisotropy assay for the muscarinic M1 G-protein-coupled receptor.

In the search for new chemical entities that interact with G-proteincoupled receptors (GPCRs), assays that quantify efficacy and affinity are employed. Traditional methods for measuring affinity involve radiolabeled ligands. To address the need for homogeneous biochemical fluorescent assays to characterize orthosteric ligand affinity and dissociation rates, we have developed a fluorescence anisotropy (FA) assay for the muscarinic M1 receptor that can be conducted in a 384-well plate. We used membranes from a muscarinic M1 cell line optimized for high-throughput functional assays and the previously characterized fluorescent antagonist BODIPY FL pirenzepine. The affinities of reference compounds were determined in the competitive FA assay and compared with those obtained with a competitive filter-based radioligand-binding assay using [(3)H] N-methylscopolamine. The IC(50) values produced from the FA assay were well-correlated with the radioligand-binding K(i) values (R(2) = 0.98). The dissociation of the BODIPY FL pirenzepine was readily monitored in real time using the FA assay and was sensitive to the presence of the allosteric modulator gallamine. This M1 FA assay offers advantages over traditional radioligandbinding assays as it eliminates radioactivity while allowing investigation of orthosteric or allosteric muscarinic M1 ligands in a homogeneous format.

Investigating the interaction of McN-A-343 with the M2 muscarinic receptor using its nitrogen mustard derivative.

We investigated whether the aziridinium ion formed from a nitrogen mustard derivative (4-[(2-bromoethyl)methyl-amino]-2-butynyl N-(3-chlorophenyl)carbamate; BR384) structurally related to McN-A-343 (4-(trimethyl-amino)-2-butynyl N-(3-chlorophenyl)carbamate) interacts allosterically or orthosterically with the M(2) muscarinic receptor. Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the human M(2) muscarinic receptor were incubated with the aziridinium ion of BR384 in combination with McN-A-343 or other known orthosteric and allosteric ligands for various incubation times. After removing unreacted ligands, we measured the binding of [(3)H]N-methylscopolamine to residual unalkylated receptors. Affinity constants, rate constants for alkylation, and cooperativity constants were estimated for the interacting ligands using a mathematical model. Receptor alkylation by BR384 was consistent with a two-step process. After rapidly equilibrating with the receptor (step one), the aziridinium ion-receptor complex became covalently linked with a first order rate constant of about 0.95min(-1) (step two). McN-A-343, acetylcholine and N-methylscopolamine competitively protected the M(2) receptor from irreversible alkylation by BR384. In contrast, the allosteric modulators, gallamine and WIN 51,708 (17-beta-hydroxy-17-alpha-ethynyl-5-alpha-androstano[3,2-beta]pyrimido[1,2-alpha]benzimidazole), allosterically inhibited or had no effect on, respectively, receptor alkylation by BR384. There was good agreement between affinity constants estimated from the kinetics of receptor alkylation and by displacement of [(3)H]N-methylscopolamine binding. Our results suggest that BR384 covalently binds to the orthosteric site of the M(2) receptor and that McN-A-343 binds reversibly at the same locus. Our method of analyzing allosteric interactions does not suffer from the limitations of more conventional approaches and can be adapted to detect allosteric interactions at receptors other than the muscarinic subtypes.

The effect of memantine and levodopa/carbidopa on the responses of phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparations from aged rats.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and Parkinsonism are common in geriatric patients. Skeletal muscles are important for proper function of aging animals and humans. This study focuses on the influence of memantine (used in moderate to severe AD) and levodopa/carbidopa (LD/CD) (a cornerstone of Parkinson's disease treatment) on responses of isolated phrenic nerve-diaphragms (IPNDs) of aged male rats. MATERIAL/METHODS: Of 100 aged male albino rats, 20 were untreated to study the in vitro effects of memantine and LD/CD on IPNDs and 80 were divided into groups 1 (control), 2 (oral memantine, 1.5 mg/kg/d), 3 (twice daily intraperitoneal LD/CD, 25/2.5 mg/kg), and 4 (both drugs). After three weeks-treatment the animals were sacrificed. Ten rats from each group were used to harvest IPNDs to study the effect of gallamine and 10 rats to measure nAchR (nicotinic acetylcholine receptor) alpha subunit mRNA by PCR. RESULTS: The heights of indirectly elicited contractions were 63.1+/-4.6, 41.5+/-4.5, 70.6+/-4.7, and 53.9+/-3.3 mm for groups 1-4, respectively, and all differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). Memantine caused a leftward shift of the gallamine concentration-response curve and LD/CD a rightward shift. Reversal of neuromuscular block required larger neostigmine concentrations in the memantine group and smaller concentrations in the LD/CD group. In vitro, memantine inhibited diaphragmatic responses to indirect stimulation. Values of nAchR alpha subunit mRNA (microg/dl) were 0.7+/-0.16 (control), 0.13+/-0.11 (memantine), 2.3+/-0.94 (LD/CD), and 1.18+/-0.71 (both drugs) (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Memantine inhibits neuromuscular transmission in vitro and with in vivo treatment. LD/CD treatment enhances neuromuscular transmission. Clinical implications need further investigation.

Kinetics of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase in the presence of acetonitrile.

The hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine by acetylcholinesterase from Electrophorus electricus was investigated in the presence of the inhibitors tacrine, gallamine and compound 1. The interaction of the enzyme with the substrate and the inhibitors was characterized by the parameters K(I), alpha', b or beta, K(m) and V(max), which were determined directly and simultaneously from nonlinear Michaelis-Menten plots. Tacrine was shown to act as a mixed-type inhibitor with a strong noncompetitive component (alpha' approximately 1) and to completely block deacylation of the acyl-enzyme. In contrast, acetylcholinesterase inhibition by gallamine followed the 'steric blockade hypothesis', i.e. only substrate association to as well as substrate/product dissociation from the active site were reduced in the presence of the inhibitor. The relative efficiency of the acetylcholinesterase-gallamine complex for the catalysis of substrate conversion was determined to be 1.7-25% of that of the free enzyme. Substrate hydrolysis and the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase were also investigated in the presence of 6% acetonitrile, and a competitive pseudo-inhibition was observed for acetonitrile (K(I) = 0.25 m). The interaction of acetylcholinesterase with acetonitrile and tacrine or gallamine resulted in a seven- to 10-fold increase in the K(I) values, whereas the principal mode of inhibition was not affected by the organic solvent. The determination of the inhibitory parameters of compound 1 in the presence of acetonitrile revealed that the substance acts as a hyperbolic mixed-type inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase. The complex formed by the enzyme and the inhibitor still catalysed product formation with 8.7-9.6% relative efficiency.

An in vitro model for studying neuromuscular transmission in the mouse pharynx.

The muscles of the pharynx are controlled by networks of neurons under the control of specific regions in the brain stem, which have been fairly well studied. However, the transmission between these neurons and the pharyngeal muscles, at the motor end plates, is less well understood. Therefore, an in vitro model for the study of neuromuscular transmission in the pharyngeal muscle of the mouse was developed. Ring preparations from the inferior constrictor and the cricopharyngeus muscles were isolated and mounted for isometric force recording at physiologic temperature. Preparations from the diaphragm and the soleus muscles were examined in parallel. The muscles were stimulated at supramaximal voltage with short tetani at 100 Hz. Following direct stimulation of the muscle fibers, using a longer pulse duration, the rate of force development of the pharyngeal muscles was similar to that of the diaphragm and faster than that of the soleus muscle. By varying the duration of the stimulation pulses, conditions where the nerve-mediated activation contributed to a major extent of the contractile responses were identified. Gallamine completely inhibited the nerve-mediated responses. In separate experiments the dose dependence of gallamine inhibition was examined, showing similar sensitivity in the inferior pharyngeal constrictor compared to the diaphragm and soleus muscles. We conclude that reproducible contractile responses with an identifiable nerve-induced component can be obtained from the mouse inferior pharyngeal constrictor. The pharyngeal muscles have contractile characteristics similar to those of the faster diaphragm. The sensitivity to the neuromuscular blocking agent gallamine of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor was in the same concentration range as that of the diaphragm and soleus muscles.

Autoantibodies enhance agonist action and binding to cardiac muscarinic receptors in chronic Chagas' disease.

Chronic Chagasic patient immunoglobulins (CChP-IgGs) recognize an acidic amino acid cluster at the second extracellular loop (el2) of cardiac M(2)-muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M(2)AChRs). These residues correspond to a common binding site for various allosteric agents. We characterized the nature of the M(2)AChR/CChP-IgG interaction in functional and radioligand binding experiments applying the same mainstream strategies previously used for the characterization of other allosteric agents. Dose-response curves of acetylcholine effect on heart rate were constructed with data from isolated heart experiments in the presence of CChP or normal blood donor (NBD) sera. In these experiments, CChP sera but not NBD sera increased the efficacy of agonist action by augmenting the onset of bradyarrhythmias and inducing a Hill slope of 2.5. This effect was blocked by gallamine, an M(2)AChR allosteric antagonist. Correspondingly, CChP-IgGs increased acetylcholine affinity twofold and showed negative cooperativity for [(3)H]-N-methyl scopolamine ([(3)H]-NMS) in allosterism binding assays. A peptide corresponding to the M(2)AChR-el2 blocked this effect. Furthermore, dissociation assays showed that the effect of gallamine on the [(3)H]-NMS off-rate was reverted by CChP-IgGs. Finally, concentration-effect curves for the allosteric delay of W84 on [(3)H]-NMS dissociation right shifted from an IC(50) of 33 nmol/L to 78 nmol/L, 992 nmol/L, and 1670 nmol/L in the presence of 6.7 x 10(- 8), 1.33 x 10(- 7), and 2.0 x 10(- 7) mol/L of anti-el2 affinity-purified CChP-IgGs. Taken together, these findings confirmed a competitive interplay of these ligands at the common allosteric site and revealed the novel allosteric nature of the interaction of CChP-IgGs at the M(2)AChRs as a positive cooperativity effect on acetylcholine action.

Use of acetylcholine mustard to study allosteric interactions at the M(2) muscarinic receptor.

We explored the interaction of a nitrogen mustard derivative of acetylcholine with the human M(2) muscarinic receptor expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells using the muscarinic radioligand, [3H]N-methylscopolamine (NMS). Acetylcholine mustard caused a concentration-dependent, first-order loss of [3H]NMS binding at 37 degrees C, with the half-maximal rate constant occurring at 24 microM and a maximal rate constant of 0.16 min(-1). We examined the effects of various ligands on the rate of alkylation of M(2) receptors by acetylcholine mustard. N-methylscopolamine and 4-(trimethylamino)-2-butynyl-(3-chlorophenyl)carbamate (McN-A-343) competitively slowed the rate of alkylation, whereas the inhibition by gallamine reached a plateau at high concentrations, indicating allosteric inhibition. In contrast, 17-beta-hydroxy-17-alpha-ethynyl-5-alpha-androstano[3,2-beta]-pyrimido[1,2-alpha]benzimidazole (WIN 51708) had no effect. We also measured the inhibition of [3H]NMS binding by acetylcholine mustard at 0 degrees C, conditions under which there is little or no detectable covalent binding. In these experiments, the dissociation constant of the aziridinium ion of acetylcholine mustard was estimated to be 12.3 microM. In contrast, the parent mustard and alcoholic hydrolysis product of acetylcholine mustard were without effect. Our results show that measurement of the effects of ligands on the rate of inactivation of the orthosteric site by a small site-directed electrophile is a powerful method for discriminating competitive inhibition from allosterism.