Anatoxin-a a potent ligand for nicotinic cholinergic receptors in rat brain

Toxic Effects Produced by Anatoxin-a under Laboratory Conditions: A Review

The presence of cyanotoxins and its bioaccumulation in the food chain is an increasingly common problem worldwide. Despite the toxic effects produced by Anatoxin-a (ATX-a), this neurotoxin has been less studied compared to microcystins (MCs) and cylindrospermopsin (CYN). Studies conducted under laboratory conditions are of particular interest because these provide information which are directly related to the effects produced by the toxin. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers the ATX-a toxicological database inadequate to support the publication of a formal guideline reference value. Therefore, the aim of the present work is to compile all of the in vitro and in vivo toxicological studies performed so far and to identify potential data gaps. Results show that the number of reports is increasing in recent years. However, more in vitro studies are needed, mainly in standardized neuronal cell lines. Regarding in vivo studies, very few of them reflect conditions occurring in nature and further studies with longer periods of oral exposure would be of interest. Moreover, additional toxicological aspects of great interest such as mutagenicity, genotoxicity, immunotoxicity and alteration of hormonal balance need to be studied in depth.

Risk to human health associated with the environmental occurrence of cyanobacterial neurotoxic alkaloids anatoxins and saxitoxins

Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous photosynthetic micro-organisms forming blooms and scums in surface water; among them some species can produce cyanotoxins giving rise to some concern for human health and animal life. To date, more than 65 cyanobacterial neurotoxins have been described, of which the most studied are the groups of anatoxins and saxitoxins (STXs), comprising many different variants. In freshwaters, the hepatotoxic microcystins represent the most frequently detected cyanotoxin: on this basis, it could appear that neurotoxins are less relevant, but the low frequency of detection may partially reflect an a priori choice of target analytes, the low method sensitivity and the lack of certified standards. Cyanobacterial neurotoxins target cholinergic synapses or voltage-gated ion channels, blocking skeletal and respiratory muscles, thus leading to death by respiratory failure. This review reports and analyzes the available literature data on environmental occurrence of cyanobacterial neurotoxic alkaloids, namely anatoxins and STXs, their biosynthesis, toxicology and epidemiology, derivation of guidance values and action limits. These data are used as the basis to assess the risk posed to human health, identify critical exposure scenarios and highlight the major data gaps and research needs.

Neurotoxins acting at nicotinic receptors

Neurotoxins include, in the most general sense, all molecules that destroy or inhibit the proper functioning of the nervous system. Neurotoxins from animals and plants include alkaloids and peptides, many of which interact with physiological processes in a selective manner. The majority of neurotoxins disrupt the transmission of signals in the nervous system by interfering with synaptic transmission. Neurotoxins can act presynaptically to inhibit the release, uptake and recycling of neurotransmitters or postsynaptically, binding to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane and preventing their activation by neurotransmitters. A class of neurotoxins from plants and animals interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, either at the neuromuscular junction, peripherally at neuronal ganglia or centrally, to produce neurotoxic effects. In this article we review current knowledge of some of these neurotoxins, their structure, pharmacology, importance as pharmaceutical tools as well as future prospects for the development of therapeutic molecules.

In vivo neurochemical characterization of Anatoxin-a evoked dopamine release from striatum

Anatoxin-a (AnTx) is a natural neurotoxin, which acts as a potent and stereoselective agonist at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The in vivo actions of the AnTx on dopamine (DA) release are scarcely characterized. The aim of this study was to determine the neurochemical bases for AnTx-induced striatal DA release, using the brain microdialysis technique, in freely moving rats. Local application of AnTx (3.5 mM) through the microdialysis probe produced an increase in striatal DA levels (701 +/- 51% with respect to basal values). The effect of infusion of AnTx in Ca(2+)-free Ringer medium, in Na(+)-free Ringer medium and with TTX in the medium, was inhibited. Also, reserpine pre-treatment blocked the action of AnTx on striatal DA levels. To investigate the involvement of the DA transporter, the effects of AnTx were observed in the presence of nomifensine. The coadministration of AnTx and nomifensine evoked an additive effect on striatal DA levels. The latter results show that the DA release is not mediated by a decreased DA uptake. Taken as a whole, these results suggest that the effects of AnTx are predominantly mediated by an exocytotic mechanism, Ca(2+)-, Na(+)- and TTX-dependent, and not by a mechanism mediated by the DA transporter.

An improved nicotinic pharmacophore and a stereoselective CoMFA-model for nicotinic agonists acting at the central nicotinic acetylcholine receptors labelled by

A study of a series of compounds with agonistic effect at the alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors resulted in an improved pharmacophore model as well as a CoMFA model. The pharmacophore was composed of three pharmacophoric elements: (1) a site point (a) corresponding to a protonated nitrogen atom, (2) a site point (b) corresponding to an electronegative atom capable of forming a hydrogen bond, and (3) the centre of a heteroaromatic ring or a C=O bond (c). The pharmacophoric elements were related by the following parameters: (a-b) 7.3-8.0 A, (a-c) 6.5-7.4 A, and the angle between the two distance vectors (delta bac) 30.4-35.8 degrees. In addition to this, a stereoselective CoMFA model was developed, which showed good predictability even for compound classes not present in the training set.

Nicotinic modulation of [(3)H]D-aspartate outflow from cultured cerebellar granule cells

The effect of nicotine on basal and electrically evoked (20 Hz for 20 sec) [(3)H]D-aspartate efflux (assumed as an index of transmitter release) was studied in rat cerebellar granule primary cultures. Nicotine (10-100 nM) increased the basal efflux two to three times and concentration-dependently enhanced the electrically evoked efflux up to ten times. Higher drug concentration (1 microM) underwent rapid desensitization. Facilitation of the efflux was similarly reduced by the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists, alpha-bungarotoxin and mecamylamine, suggesting the involvement of at least two receptor subtypes containing and lacking alpha(7) subunits, respectively. Since the increased efflux induced by nicotine in granule cells kept at rest or depolarized by KCl 15 mM was antagonized by tetrodotoxin, the involvement of sodium channels by receptors located at preterminal sites was suggested. Taken together, these findings emphasize the role of the cholinergic input in granule cell function and in glutamatergic signaling.

Human neuronal nicotinic receptors

Nicotine is a very widely used drug of abuse, which exerts a number of neurovegetative, behavioural and psychological effects by interacting with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (NAChRs). These receptors are distributed widely in human brain and ganglia, and form a family of ACh-gated ion channels of different subtypes, each of which has a specific pharmacology and physiology. As human NAChRs have been implicated in a number of human central nervous system disorders (including the neurodegenerative Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and epilepsy), they are suitable potential targets for rational drug therapy. Much of our current knowledge about the structure and function of NAChRs comes from studies carried out in other species, such as rodents and chicks, and information concerning human nicotinic receptors is still incomplete and scattered in the literature. Nevertheless, it is already evident that there are a number of differences in the anatomical distribution, physiology, pharmacology, and expression regulation of certain subtypes between the nicotinic systems of humans and other species. This review will attempt to survey the major achievements reached in the study of the structure and function of NAChRs by examining the molecular basis of their functional diversity viewed mainly from pharmacological and biochemical perspectives. It will also summarize our current knowledge concerning the structure and function of the NAChRs expressed by other species, and the newly discovered drugs used to classify their numerous subtypes. Finally, the role of NAChRs in behaviour and pathology will be considered.

Bioallethrin causes permanent changes in behavioural and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor variables in adult mice exposed neonatally to DDT

We recently reported changes in the density of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in cerebral cortex of mice treated neonatally with DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethane) and receiving bioallethrin as adults. We also found behavioural aberrations in adult mice treated with bioallethrin, whether neonatally treated with DDT or the vehicle. To ascertain whether these changes were permanent, 10-day-old mice received an oral dose of DDT (0.5 mg/kg body weight) and at the age of 5 months they received bioallethrin orally (0.7 mg/kg body weight/day; 7 days). The animals were investigated at the age of 7 months. Here we report muscarinic acetylcholine receptor changes, additional behavioural disturbances and learning disabilities in mice receiving DDT as neonates and bioallethrin as adults, whereas the behavioural disturbances in mice receiving vehicle as neonates and bioallethrin as adults had diminished and changes in proportions of high- and low-affinity binding sites had developed. No changes in the density of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors were noted for any of the treated groups. In conclusion, exposure of neonates to DDT leads to increased susceptibility in adults to a short-acting pesticide with similar neurotoxic action. An adult exposure to this short-acting pesticide to mice neonatally exposed to DDT leads to irreversible muscarinic acetylcholine receptor changes and behavioural disturbances with additional changes 2 months after the exposure.

Muscarinic and nicotinic receptor changes in the cortex and thalamus of brains of chronic alcoholics

The cholinergic system was studied in the cortical and thalamic brain tissues obtained at autopsy from 21 chronic alcoholics and 20 controls. The age related decrease in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity observed in the thalamus of control brains was not found in the corresponding brain areas of chronic alcoholics. A significant decrease in the number of muscarinic receptor binding sites was observed with age in the frontal cortex of both controls and chronic alcoholics when analysed with the nonselective muscarinic antagonist [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB). A significant increase in the number of muscarinic receptor binding sites was observed in the thalamus of controls but not in chronic alcoholics. When the subjects were divided into young (19-57) years, and old (59-84 years) chronic alcoholics marked losses in the total number of muscarinic receptors as well as M1 and M2 receptor subtypes were found in the thalamus of the old group of alcoholics compared to age-matched controls. A coupling of muscarinic receptors to G proteins was observed in thalamic tissues from both controls and chronic alcoholics. Guanylyl-imidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) induced a steepening and rightward shift of the carbachol/[3H]QNB displacement curves performed in membrane preparations of the thalamus from both controls and chronic alcoholics. The number of high affinity nicotinic binding sites in the frontal cortex and thalamus did not differ significantly between controls and chronic alcoholics.

The competition of (-)-[3H]nicotine binding by the enantiomers of nicotine, nornicotine and anatoxin-a in membranes and solubilized preparations of different brain regions of rat

In order to characterize the properties of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes in the CNS, the enantiomers of nicotine, nornicotine and anatoxin-a were studied for their ability to displace (-)-[3H]nicotine binding to membranes and solubilized preparations of different brain regions of rats. In hippocampal membranes, (-)-[3H]nicotine binding was stereoselectively displaced from two sites by (+)- and (-)-nicotine, as well as by (+)- and (-)-anatoxin-a. (-)-Nicotine displayed a larger proportion of high affinity binding sites than did (+)-nicotine, while the proportions of high and low affinity binding sites for (+)-anatoxin-a was the same as that for (-)-anatoxin-a. In cerebellar membranes, the (-)-[3H]nicotine binding was stereoselectively displaced from a single binding site by nicotine and anatoxin-a with Ki values that did not correspond with their KH and KL values observed in hippocampus. The (-)-[3H]-nicotine binding was displaced from a single site by both (+)- and (-)-nornicotine with similar Ki values in both hippocampal and cerebellar membranes. In Triton X-100 solubilized preparations, the (-)-[3H]nicotine binding was displaced from a single site by all of the drugs tested and the Ki values for each individual drug were similar in the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. These results provided further evidence for pharmacological heterogeneity of membrane bound nAChRs and clearly indicated that detergent solubilization changed the binding properties of nAChRs in rat brain.

Stabilization of thymopentin and preservation of its pharmacological properties by 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin

Thymopentin prepared in 5, 15, and 20% 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) was able to inhibit guinea-pig ileum contraction stimulated by anatoxin-a (3 x 10(-6) M) after fourteen months of storage at room temperature. Thus, in contrast to the instability of thymopentin prepared without HPCD, the pharmacological activity was retained and could be stored in a ready-to-use solution for extended periods without refrigeration.

Cardio-respiratory changes and mortality in the conscious rat induced by (+)- and (+/-)-anatoxin-a

Anatoxin-a (AnTx-a) is a potent nicotinic cholinergic receptor agonist. The relative potencies of the (+)-AnTx-a and the racemic mixture (+/-)-AnTx-a were investigated in the conscious rat by comparing their effects on mean arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), blood oxygen and carbon dioxide pressures (pO2 and pCO2, respectively), acid-base balance (pH) and mortality. The present experiments show that while both forms of AnTx-a produce dose-dependent increases in BP and decreases in HR, (+)-AnTx-a is about 10-fold more potent than the optically inactive isomer. (+)-AnTx-a was also 6-fold more potent than (+/-)-AnTx-a in producing severe hypoxemia, and more than 4-fold as potent as the (+/-)-AnTx-a in producing significant hypercapnia accompanied with severe acidosis. The approximate median lethal dose (LD50) of (+)-AnTx-a was about 5-fold less than that of (+/-)-AnTx-a. We conclude that (+)-AnTx-a is more potent than the (+/-)-AnTx-a racemic mixture in causing detrimental cardio-respiratory changes and therefore increased mortality in the rat.

Homoanatoxin: a potent analogue of anatoxin-A

The natural toxin anatoxin-a (AnTx) is a potent nicotinic agonist that is valuable for the study of nicotinic receptors. We have synthesized 2-(propan-1-oxo-1-yl)-9-azabicyclo[4.2.1]non-2-ene, the homologue of AnTx in which the side-chain is extended by one methylene unit from a methyl to an ethyl ketone. This chemistry would allow the generation of a tritiated product and the homologue, designated homoanatoxin (HomoAnTx), has been characterized here with that aim in mind. In competition binding assays at neuronal nicotinic ligand binding sites characterized by [3H]nicotine and [125I]-alpha bungarotoxin, HomoAnTx retained the same potency as the parent molecule, with Ki values of 7.5 nM and 1.1 microM, respectively. In contrast, it showed little inhibition of muscarinic binding defined by [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate. HomoAnTx is a potent nicotinic agonist in frog muscle contracture assays, having four times the potency of carbamylcholine and one tenth of the activity of AnTx itself. The N-methylated version of HomoAnTx was more than two orders of magnitude weaker in both functional and binding assays. The successful synthesis of HomoAnTx with retention of high nicotinic potency offers a route for the generation of novel, potent radiolabelled nicotinic ligands.

Nicotinic and muscarinic subtypes in the human brain: changes with aging and dementia

Different effects of normal aging on muscarinic and nicotinic receptor subtypes were observed in postmortem brain tissue from different regions of the human brain. A significant decrease in M1 and M2 receptors was found in cerebral cortex, while the M1 and especially the M2 receptors increased with age in the thalamus. A similar pattern of changes was also observed when using (-)3H-nicotine as ligand for nicotinic receptors in the cortex and thalamus. No significant changes in nicotinic receptor binding were observed with age in the cortex or thalamus when using 3H-acetylcholine as ligand. Nicotinic and muscarinic receptors in the brain are not equally affected in dementia disorders. A marked loss of high affinity nicotinic receptors was observed in cortical tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease and with multi-infarct dementia (MID). The muscarinic receptors were (both M1 and M2) increased in Alzheimer cortical tissue while they were decreased in MID.

A comparison of the binding of nicotine and nornicotine stereoisomers to nicotinic binding sites in rat brain cortex

Both stereoisomers of nicotine and nornicotine were tested for their ability to competitively displace 3H-(-)-nicotine and 3H-acetylcholine (in the presence of atropine), in rat cortex tissue. 3H-acetylcholine was displaced from two binding sites, super-high and high, by (+)-nicotine, (-)-nornicotine and (+)-nornicotine but from a high affinity site by (-)-nicotine. 3H-nicotine was displaced from two sites, high and low affinity by nicotine and nornicotine stereoisomers. The high-affinity 3H-(-)-nicotine binding site showed similar binding characteristics to one of the sites labelled by 3H-acetylcholine. IC50 values showed (-)-nicotine to be 13 and 25-fold more potent than (+)-nicotine for displacing 3H-(-)-nicotine and 3H-acetylcholine, respectively, but no difference was observed for nornicotine stereoisomers. While (-)-nicotine preferentially bound to the high affinity site of 3H-(-)-nicotine (+)-nicotine preferred the low affinity site. The study provides further evidence for multiple nicotine receptors in brain.

Nicotinic action of anatoxin-a on guinea pig ileum antagonized by thymopentin

(+)-Anatoxin-a (ANTX) stimulated guinea pig ileum contraction with a potency similar to that of acetylcholine (ACh); the stimulation was blocked by tubocurarine, hexamethonium, or atropine. Although the contraction stimulated by ANTX was blocked by atropine, no specific inhibition of the binding of [3H]N-methylscopolamine to ileum membranes was observed in the presence of ANTX. Furthermore, ANTX failed to stimulate the secretion of alpha-amylase from pancreatic acinar cells, a process that is activated by cholinergic agonists at the muscarinic receptors. When the ileum itself was stimulated by ACh, the contraction was not blocked by either hexamethonium or tubocurarine. Preincubation of the ileum with hemicholinium caused a 50% reduction in the ability of ANTX to stimulate contraction. Based upon these data, it was inferred that ANTX binds to postganglionic synaptic nicotinic receptors in the ileum, thus releasing endogenous ACh, which in turn causes ileum contraction by interacting with the postsynaptic muscarinic receptors. It was also observed that thymopentin (TP-5), a pentapeptide corresponding to positions 32-36 of thymopoietin, blocked the stimulation of ileum contraction by ANTX.

Evidence for functional activity of up-regulated nicotine binding sites in rat striatal synaptosomes

A number of studies have found that the chronic administration of nicotine causes an increase in the density of nicotinic binding sites in the brain, but it is not known whether these additional binding sites are functionally active receptors. In this study, the effects of 1-week administration of the potent nicotinic agonist, (+)-anatoxin-a (96 nmol/day via osmotic minipumps), was assessed on [3H]nicotine binding and [3H]dopamine uptake and release in rat striatal synaptosomes. Chronic (+)-anatoxin-a treatment resulted in a 32% increase in the Bmax of [3H]nicotine binding in anatoxin-treated animals compared to control. There was a 43% increase in the activity of 3 microM nicotine to release [3H]dopamine from synaptosomes of anatoxin-treated animals, but the release induced by 20 mM K+ depolarization was unaffected. There was no effect of chronic (+)-anatoxin-a treatment on the uptake of [3H]dopamine. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.64) was found between the density of [3H]nicotine binding sites and the nicotine-induced stimulation of [3H]dopamine release in individual animals. These results indicate that (+)-anatoxin-a, like nicotine, produces an up-regulation of nicotine binding sites following chronic administration, and that these additional sites are functional receptors capable of mediating the release of dopamine from striatal synaptosomes.

Effects of two pyrethroids, bioallethrin and deltamethrin, on subpopulations of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors in the neonatal mouse brain

Ten-day-old NMRI mice were given deltamethrin, bioallethrin, or the vehicle once daily for 7 days. The doses used were as follows: deltamethrin, 0.71 and 1.2 mg/kg body wt; bioallethrin, 0.72 and 72 mg/kg body wt; and 20% fat emulsion vehicle, 10 ml/kg body wt. The mice were killed 24 hr after the last administration, and crude synaptosomal fractions (P2) were prepared from the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. The densities of the muscarinic and nicotinic receptors were assayed by measuring the amounts of quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) and [3H]nicotine, respectively, specifically bound in the P2 fraction. The proportions of high- and low-affinity binding sites of the muscarinic receptors were assayed in a displacement study using [3H]QNB/carbachol. The two types of pyrethroids affected the cholinergic system in the neonatal mouse brain in two different ways. At the lower dose, which did not cause any neurotoxic symptoms, both pyrethroid types affected the muscarinic receptors in the cerebral cortex. Here deltamethrin caused an increase and decrease in the percentage of high- and low-affinity binding sites, respectively, whereas the reverse was observed after bioallethrin treatment. Deltamethrin treatment also caused an increase in the density of nicotinic receptors in the cerebral cortex. The higher doses revealed typical symptoms of pyrethroid poisoning, such as choreoathetosis and tremor for deltamethrin and bioallethrin, respectively. The symptoms declined gradually during each successive day of administration and had disappeared by Day 4. At this dose deltamethrin affected the muscarinic receptors in the hippocampus and the nicotinic receptors in the cerebral cortex, whereas bioallethrin had no apparent effect. This study further supports that the cholinergic system under rapid development in the neonatal mouse is sensitive to xenobiotics.

Cardiovascular effects of anatoxin-A in the conscious rat

The effects of anatoxin-A on mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, cardiac index (CI), and blood flow (BF) in hindquarter (HQ), renal (R), and mesenteric (M) vascular beds were studied after intravenous (iv) and intracerebroventricular (icv) administration in the conscious rat. The pharmacological profile of anatoxin-A was further compared to nicotine administered iv and icv. MAP and heart rate were measured from femoral artery, CI by thermodilution method, and blood flow by Doppler velocimetry. Anatoxin-A and nicotine (30, 100 and 300 micrograms/kg iv) produced an increase in MAP with concomitant bradycardia. The highest doses increased CI. MBF and RBF decreased due to a vasoconstriction in M and R vasculature. These effects were attenuated by the ganglion blocker chlorisondamine (5 mg/kg, iv). Anatoxin-A (100 micrograms/kg, iv) increased plasma epinephrine levels by 2-fold with virtually no effect on norepinephrine whereas nicotine (100 micrograms/kg, iv) increased plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine by 20- to 30-fold. Central administration of anatoxin-A and nicotine (30-100 micrograms/kg icv) increased MAP with no effect on heart rate and produced M and R vasoconstriction. In summary, the present study demonstrates that anatoxin-A acts as a nicotinic cholinergic agonist in the conscious rat after both systemic and central administration. Anatoxin-A and nicotine produced pressor and reno-splanchnic vasoconstrictor responses and at high doses increased cardiac output. These effects were mediated by activation of the nicotinic receptors in the adrenal medulla and sympathetic ganglia. However, marked differences were found in the potency of anatoxin-A versus nicotine to stimulate the sympathoadrenomedullary axis.

Influence of development and aging on nicotinic receptor subtypes in rodent brain

The influence of development and aging on nicotinic receptor subtypes in rodent brain was investigated. 3H-nicotine and 3H-acetylcholine (3H-ACh) were used as receptor ligands. Specific binding sites for 3H-nicotine and 3H-ACh were detected in mouse brain during the late prenatal period. A drop in the number of 3H-nicotine and 3H-ACh binding sites was measured shortly after birth. The 3H-nicotine and 3H-ACh binding sites showed different time courses during prenatal development. Competition experiments using unlabelled (-)nicotine and 3H-nicotine revealed one population of high affinity nicotinic binding sites in the cortex of 1-day and 5-day-old mice whereas both a set of high and low affinity binding sites were found in adult mice. The proportion of cortical high and low affinity nicotinic binding sites did not change with aging although the absolute amount of high affinity nicotinic binding sites decreased. The 3H-nicotine binding showed different temperature dependence in rat brain of different ages. The results illustrate dynamic changes in nicotinic receptor properties during life span of rodents.

Effect of acute and subchronic nicotine treatment on cortical acetylcholine release and on nicotinic receptors in rats and guinea-pigs

1. The effect of acute and chronic (16 days) administration of nicotine on cortical acetylcholine (ACh) release, gross behaviour and brain nicotinic binding sites was investigated in rats and guinea-pigs. 2. The drug, injected either subcutaneously (0.45-0.90 mg kg-1) or intracerebroventricularly (1, 3 and 5 micrograms) increased the cortical ACh release, in a dose-dependent manner, through mecamylamine-sensitive receptors for 1-2 h in both species. 3. Chronic treatment significantly increased basal ACh release in the rat and slightly lowered it in the guinea-pig, but the response to a challenging dose of nicotine was proportionally maintained in both species. 4. The number of nicotinic receptors was four times higher in the rat than in the guinea-pig and was not dependent on the radioligand used ([3H]-nicotine or [3H]-ACh, in the presence of atropine) to determine this. The nicotinic binding sites showed an apparent increase in chronically treated rats but no change in guinea-pigs. 5. Tolerance to the inhibitory effect of the drug, assessed with the T maze test, was found in the rat. No apparent change in gross behaviour was detected in the guinea-pig. 6. It is concluded that chronic nicotine treatment causes evident tolerance to its inhibitory effect on behaviour in the rat, but no adaptation to its excitatory properties on the cholinergic brain structures in rats and guinea-pigs.

Change in nicotinic receptor subtypes in temporal cortex of Alzheimer brains

Competition experiments using (-)-[3H]nicotine and unlabelled nicotine revealed both high and low affinity nicotinic binding sites in temporal cortex of control and Alzheimer (AD/SDAT) brains. A significant reduction in the proportion of high affinity nicotinic binding sites (-20%) and a parallel increase in the proportion of low affinity nicotinic binding sites was obtained in AD/SDAT brain cortex compared to control brain. Moreover, a marked decrease was observed in the affinity of the low affinity nicotinic binding sites in AD/SDAT.

Molecular studies of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor family

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on neurons are part of a gene family that includes nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on skeletal muscles and neuronal alpha bungarotoxin-binding proteins that in many species, unlike receptors, do not have an acetylcholine-regulated cation channel. This gene superfamily of ligand-gated receptors also includes receptors for glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid. Rapid progress on neuronal nicotinic receptors has recently been possible using monoclonal antibodies as probes for receptor proteins and cDNAs as probes for receptor genes. These studies are the primary focus of this review, although other aspects of these receptors are also considered. In birds and mammals, there are subtypes of neuronal nicotinic receptors. All of these receptors differ from nicotinic receptors of muscle pharmacologically (none bind alpha bungarotoxin, and some have very high affinity for nicotine), structurally (having only two types of subunits rather than four), and, in some cases, in functional role (some are located presynaptically). However, there are amino acid sequence homologies between the subunits of these receptors that suggest the location of important functional domains. Sequence homologies also suggest that the subunits of the proteins of this family all evolved from a common ancestral protein subunit. The ligand-gated ion channel characteristic of this superfamily is formed from multiple copies of homologous subunits. Conserved domains responsible for strong stereospecific association of the subunits are probably a fundamental organizing principle of the superfamily. Whereas the structure of muscle-type nicotinic receptors appears to have been established by the time of elasmobranchs and has evolved quite conservatively since then, the evolution of neuronal-type nicotinic receptors appears to be in more rapid flux. Certainly, the studies of these receptors are in rapid flux, with the availability of monoclonal antibody probes for localizing, purifying, and characterizing the proteins, and cDNA probes for determining sequences, localizing mRNAs, expressing functional receptors, and studying genetic regulation. The role of nicotinic receptors in neuromuscular transmission is well understood, but the role of nicotinic receptors in brain function is not. The current deluge of data using antibodies and cDNAs is beginning to come together nicely to describe the structure of these receptors. Soon, these techniques may combine with others to better reveal the functional roles of neuronal nicotinic receptors.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in cultured neurons from the hippocampus and brain stem of the rat characterized by single channel recording

Single channel recording techniques have been applied to neurons cultured from the hippocampus and the respiratory area of the brain stem of fetal rats in order to search for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in the central nervous system. In addition to acetylcholine (ACh), the potent and specific agonist (+)-anatoxin-a was also used to characterize nicotinic channels. nAChRs were concentrated on the somal surface near the base of the apical dendrite, and in some patches their density was sufficient to record 2 or more channel openings simultaneously. Although a multiplicity of conductance states was also evident, the predominant population showed a single channel conductance of 20 pS at 10 degrees C. Thus, these neuronal nAChRs resembled the embryonic or denervated-type nAChRs in muscle. However, channel opening and closing kinetics were faster than reported for similar conductance channels in muscle. Therefore the nicotinic channels described here are similar but not identical to those of the well-characterized muscle nAChR, in agreement with biochemical, pharmacological, and molecular genetic studies on brain AChR.

Do tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA) and physostigmine restore acetylcholine release in Alzheimer brains via nicotinic receptors?

In the presence of 9-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine (THA) 10(-4) M or physostigmine 10(-4) M, the in vitro 3H-Acetylcholine (3H-ACh) release from control cortical slices was significantly reduced. In contrast, THA 10(-4) M and physostigmine 10(-4) M significantly increased the release of 3H-ACh in AD/SDAT brain tissue. This facilitating effect on 3H-ACh release was partially blocked (50%) in the presence of the nicotinic antagonist d-tubocurarine 10(-6) M indicating a possible interaction via nicotinic receptors. The muscarinic antagonist atropine 10(-5) M significantly increased the 3H-ACh release both in control and AD/SDAT brains, thus indicating preservation of muscarinic autoreceptors in the AD/SDAT cortical tissue. In receptor competition studies with 3H-nicotine, 3H-ACh and 3H-quinuclidinyl benzilate (3H-QNB) as receptor ligands, THA interfered with both nicotinic and muscarinic receptor ligand binding, while physostigmine had much less effect.