Potentiation of acetylcholine action by huperzine-A and physostigmine on some vertebrate effectors, including human iris sphincter muscle.

Abstract

The main objective of this investigation was to compare the acetylcholine potentiating action of huperzine-A with acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine on the frog rectus abdominus muscle, rat phrenic nerve diaphragm preparation, guinea pig ileum and human iris sphincter muscle. In vitro on the frog rectus abdominus muscle, microM of each alkaloid, incubated for 10 min, shifted the acetylcholine concentration response curve to the left. At EC(50) level, physostigmine potentiated acetylcholine response by 4-fold. The potentiation by huperzine-A was 40-fold. The acetylcholine maximum effect, relative to the control, increased to approximately 130% by each alkaloid. Neurally mediated twitch contraction of the rat diaphragm, a skeletal muscle at 1 microM was also potentiated more by huperzine-A than that by physostigmine. Neuromuscular block by (+)-tubocurarine was reversed more easily by huperzine-A than that by physostigmine. On guinea pig ileum, a 30 nM concentration of each alkaloid incubated for 5 min potentiated acetylcholine (10 nM) by 42%, and 33% for huperzine-A and physostigmine respectively. The difference in potentiation between the alkaloids was not significant. At 300 nM of each alkaloid, intrinsic indirect contractions were observed on the ileum, where the rate of contraction by huperzine-A was faster than that by physostigmine. On the iris sphincter, huperzine-A and physostigmine produced a concentration-dependent effect. Maximum effect after each alkaloid was achieved at 30 microM. Potentiation of acetylcholine response by 0.3 microM huperzine-A after a 10-min incubation was greater than that achieved by physostigmine at an equivalent concentration on the contralateral iris sphincter. In summary, huperzine-A exhibits greater acetylcholine potentiating activity on vertebrate muscles than that produced by physostigmine. The results are discussed in relation to the potential therapeutic value of huperzine-A.