Abstract

Acetylcholine and acetyl-CoA metabolism in nerve terminals isolated from rat brain were found to be affected by several neurotoxic and neuroprotective agents, such as aluminium, nitric oxide, β-hydroxybutyrate, verapamil and thiamine deficiency. The changes evoked by these factors in Ca<sup>2+</sup>-dependent acetylcholine release were highly significantly correlated (r = 0.98) with changes in concentration of synaptoplasmic acetyl-CoA. On the other hand, in the same experimental conditions, no correlation was found between rates of pyruvate oxidation, intramitochondrial acetyl-CoA levels and different pools of releasable acetylcholine. These data indicate that disturbances in the availability of acetyl-CoA in the cytoplasm of nerve terminals may be a key factor in the pathogenesis of several cholinergic encephalopathies.

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