Recovery of cholinesterase activity in the cerebrospinal fluid, brainstem and plasma of the unanesthetized cat after irreversible cholinesterase inhibition

Cerebrospinal fluid acetylcholinesterase in neuropsychiatric disorders

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with a diagnosis of Huntington's disease, depression, schizophrenia, or mania and also in the CSF of normal subjects. No significant differences in CSF AChE were found between any diagnostic group and normal subjects. Furthermore, the administration of choline chloride, physostigmine, or probenecid did not significantly alter CSF AChE. No diurnal variation in CSF AChE activity was apparent. These findings, combined with the unclear relationship of brain AChE to CSF AChE, suggest that this measurement does not reflect the relative cholinergic underactivity presumed to exist in some neuropsychiatric conditions.

Acetylcholinesterase activity in ventricular and cisternal CSF of dogs: effect of chlorpromazine

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in dog plasma is significantly higher than in either ventricular or cisternal CSF. However, since protein levels in plasma are about 100-fold higher than in CSF, the specific activity of AChE is lower in plasma than in CSF. Acetylcholinesterase activity in plasma represents only 22% of total cholinesterase (ChE) activity, while preliminary findings indicate that in ventricular CSF it is 50-60%. Acetylcholinesterase activity in ventricular CSF is significantly lower than in cisternal CSF. Chlorpromazine (10 mg/kg, intravenous), a drug which increases acetylcholine turnover, increased AChE-specific activity in all dogs. Our results support the hypothesis of a neuronal origin of AChE activity in CSF.