Number Of Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors Research Articles

Methamphetamine exposure during brain development alters the brain acetylcholine system in adolescent mice

Children exposed to methamphetamine during brain development as a result of maternal drug use have long-term hippocampus-dependent cognitive impairments, but the mechanisms underlying these impairments are not understood. The acetylcholine system plays an important role in cognitive function and potential methamphetamine-induced acetylcholine alterations may be related to methamphetamine-induced cognitive impairments. In this study, we investigated the potential long-term effects of methamphetamine exposure during hippocampal development on the acetylcholine system in adolescence mice on postnatal day 30 and in adult mice on postnatal day 90. Methamphetamine exposure increased the density of acetylcholine neurons in regions of the basal forebrain and the area occupied by acetylcholine axons in the hippocampus in adolescent female mice. In contrast, methamphetamine exposure did not affect the density of GABA cells or total neurons in the basal forebrain. Methamphetamine exposure also increased the number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the hippocampus of adolescent male and female mice. Our results demonstrate for the first time that methamphetamine exposure during hippocampal development affects the acetylcholine system in adolescent mice and that these changes are more profound in females than males.

Long-term effects of methamphetamine exposure on cognitive function and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor levels in mice.

Exposure to methamphetamine during brain development impairs cognition in humans and rodents. In mice, these impairments are more severe in females than males. Genetic factors, such as apolipoprotein E genotype, may modulate the cognitive effects of methamphetamine. Methamphetamine-induced alterations in the brain acetylcholine system may contribute to the cognitive effects of methamphetamine and may also be modulated by apolipoprotein E isoform. We assessed the long-term effects of methamphetamine exposure during brain development on cognitive function and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in mice, and whether apolipoprotein E isoform modulates these effects. Mice expressing human apolipoprotein E3 or E4 were exposed to methamphetamine (5 mg/kg) or saline once a day from postnatal days 11-20 and behaviorally tested in adulthood. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor binding was measured in the hippocampus and cortex. Methamphetamine exposure impaired novel location recognition in female, but not male, mice. Methamphetamine-exposed male and female mice showed impaired novel object recognition and increased number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the hippocampus. The cognitive and cholinergic effects of methamphetamine were similar in apolipoprotein E3 and E4 mice. Thus, the cholinergic system, but not apolipoprotein E isoform, might play an important role in the long-term methamphetamine-induced cognitive deficits in adulthood.

Effects of ethanol on phosphoinositide hydrolysis and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor number in SH-SY5Y cells

Previous studies suggest that the effects of ethanol on carbachol-stimulated I(1,4,5)P 3 formation and on the number of mAChRs may be independent of each other. The aim of this work was to further study this hypothesis. Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were used as a model system. Acute exposure of the cells to 100 mM ethanol induced a decrease in [ 3H]N-methylscopolamine ([ 3H]NMS) binding at 30 seconds which was of lower magnitude and of shorter duration than the previously described ethanol-induced inhibition of the peak of carbachol-stimulated I(1,4,5)P 3 formation. Long-term ethanol treatment of the cells induced a time- and concentration-dependent increase in [ 3H]NMS binding. Three hours of 100 mM ethanol treatment were sufficient to increase the number of mAChRs at the cell surface but these receptors were not immediately functionally active, suggesting that they may be newly synthesized. Furthermore, the ethanol-induced potentiation of carbachol-stimulated I(1,4,5)P 3 formation, after two days, was, for all ethanol concentrations tested, of higher magnitude than the ethanol-induced increase in mAChR number. Together, these data indicate that both acute and chronic ethanol-induced changes in carbachol-stimulated I(1,4,5)P 3 formation may not only be explained by changes in mAChR density at the cell surface but may rather be the consequence of actions of ethanol down-stream of the receptor.

Potential role of muscarinic agonists in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder and a leading cause of death among the elderly. Recent advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of AD have provided scientific groundwork for the development of potentially more effective and less toxic treatment strategies for the disease. Some of the neuropathological hallmarks of AD include early and extensive degeneration of cortically projecting cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain, and a reduced number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Of note, neocortical muscarinic receptors of the M1 subtype are relatively preserved in the brains of patients with AD, whereas the presynaptic receptors, which are of the M2 subtype, are reduced in number. Therefore, activation of relatively intact postsynaptic mechanisms by muscarinic M1 receptor-specific agonists could theoretically be more efficacious in the treatment of AD compared with agents (e.g. acetylcholinesterase inhibitors) that predominantly act on dysfunctional presynaptic terminals. The administration of muscarinic agonists can demonstrably enhance cognition and significantly improve some of the disturbing behaviours in patients with AD. Recent advances in our knowledge of the molecular biology of muscarinic receptors, together with a better understanding of signal transduction pathways in AD, are likely to result in the development of receptor-specific muscarinic agonists that are more efficacious and less toxic. Moreover, preliminary evidence concerning the effects of muscarinic agonists on the processing of amyloid precursor protein and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles suggests that these agents might favourably alter the pathobiology of AD.

Regulation of expression and function of m2 and m4 muscarinic receptors in cultured embryonic chick heart cells by transforming growth factor-β 1

Incubation of cultured embryonic chicken heart cells with transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF-β 1) resulted in a concentration- and time-dependent decrease in the number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR), which reached a maximum by 24 hr. Twenty-four hours following TGF-β 1 treatment, cm2 and cm4 mAChR protein levels were decreased 59 and 41%, respectively, and cm2 mRNA and cm4 mRNA levels were both decreased by approximately 40%. Chick heart cells treated wich TGF-β 1 exhibited a decreased sensitivity for carbachol-mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity compared with control cells. Thus, TGF-β 1 stimulation of chick heart cells results in decreases in the expression of both cm2 and cm4 mAChR and in muscarinic responsiveness.

Relationship between cholinergic dysfunction and discrimination learning disabilities in Wistar rats following chronic cerebral hypoperfusion

The effects of chronic hypoperfusion of cerebral blood flow (CBF) on central cholinergic indices and intellectual functions were investigated in rats. Male Wistar rats, aged 9 weeks, were anesthetized with pentobarbital, and the bilateral common carotid arteries were permanently ligated. Cortical CBF in the hypoperfused rats was markedly decreased at 6 weeks after the operation. In the hypoperfused group, cholinergic indices were changed to consist two phases after the operation, before (acute) and after (chronic) 6 weeks after the operation. At 6 weeks, choline acetyltransferase activity was restored to the sham-operated level compared with the changes in the frontal cortex and thalamus + midbrain at 3 weeks. On the other hand, the maximum number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors was reduced in the frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum at 6 weeks and thereafter remained at this low level. In discrimination learning task, the percentage of correct responses in the hypoperfused rats was generally reduced in contrast with that of the sham-operated rats, although the number of total responses were not changed. As a consequence, cholinergic dysfunctions correlate with discrimination learning disabilities in the hypoperfused rats. These findings suggest that the hypoperfused rat may be useful for the cerebrovascular type dementia model to clarify pathophysiology.

Relationship between cholinergic dysfunction and discrimination learning disabilities in Wistar rats following chronic cerebral hypoperfusion

The effects of chronic hypoperfusion of cerebral blood flow (CBF) on central cholinergic indices and intellectual functions were investigated in rats. Male Wistar rats, aged 9 weeks, were anesthetized with pentobarbital, and the bilateral common carotid arteries were permanently ligated. Cortical CBF in the hypoperfused rats was markedly decreased at 6 weeks after the operation. In the hypoperfused group, cholinergic indices were changed to consist two phases after the operation, before (acute) and after (chronic) 6 weeks after the operation. At 6 weeks, choline acetyltransferase activity was restored to the sham-operated level compared with the changes in the frontal cortex and thalamus + midbrain at 3 weeks. On the other hand, the maximum number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors was reduced in the frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum at 6 weeks and thereafter remained at this low level. In discrimination learning task, the percentage of correct responses in the hypoperfused rats was generally reduced in contrast with that of the sham-operated rats, although the number of total responses were not changed. As a consequence, cholinergic dysfunctions correlate with discrimination learning disabilities in the hypoperfused rats. These findings suggest that the hypoperfused rat may be useful for the cerebrovascular type dementia model to clarify pathophysiology.

Effect on muscarinic acetylcholine receptors after experimental neuronal ablation in rat colon

The etiology of denervation hypersensitivity was studied using a rat model. Degeneration of the myenteric plexus was produced by direct application of 0.1% benzalkonium chloride to the serosal surface of the distal colon. Thirty days later, the treated group was compared with a control group undergoing a sham operation. The treated group showed that the decreased number of ganglion cells of the myenteric plexus on routine stain and acetylcholinesterase staining demonstrated the myenteric plexus in the treated group diminished acetylcholinesterase activity. Methacholine (1%), a muscarinic agonist, increased intraluminal pressure in treated but not control rats. The dose-response curve of colonic muscle strips to oxotremorine showed a shift to the left, indicating greater sensitivity, in the treated bowel, with a 50% effective dose (ED50) of 2.5 x 10(-8) in treated muscle and 2.2 x 10(-7) in controls. Binding studies using [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) showed that the specific maximal binding (Bmax) for [3H]QNB was greater in treated than in untreated animals (228 +/- 26.1 and 135 +/- 42.9 fmol/mg protein, respectively; P < 0.01), even though the dissociation constants (Kd) were the same (0.398 +/- 0.083 and 0.406 +/- 0.065). These findings show that acquired denervation hypersensitivity in this model is due to an increase in the number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

Multiple second-messenger pathways mediate agonist regulation of muscarinic receptor mRNA expression.

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the embryonic chicken heart undergo agonist-induced internalization followed by decreases in both receptor number and mRNA expression. Muscarinic agonists cause both inhibition of adenylyl cyclase and activation of phospholipase C in chick heart cells. Treatment of cells with islet activating protein, which blocks coupling of muscarinic receptors to adenylyl cyclase but not phospholipase C, blocks muscarinic receptor-mediated regulation of receptor mRNA levels. Incubation of cells with the partial agonist pilocarpine, which causes inhibition of adenylyl cyclase but not stimulation of phospholipase C, induces less down-regulation of receptor mRNA levels than agonist which regulate both second-messenger systems. Thus, both second-messenger pathways are required for maximal regulation of muscarinic receptor mRNA levels in response to receptor activation. We also demonstrate that the regulation of receptor mRNA by agonist plays an important role in modulating the rate of recovery of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor number following agonist-induced down-regulation.

Immunocytochemical localization of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the rat endocrine pancreas.

Immunocytochemical application of the antimuscarinic acetylcholine receptor antibody M35 to pancreas tissue revealed the target areas for the parasympathetic nervous system. Immunoreactivity in the endocrine pancreas was much higher than that in the exocrine part. Moreover, the endocrine cells at the periphery of the islets of Langerhans displayed the highest level of immunoreactivity. Based on these findings in the mantle of the islets, two types of islets have been distinguished: type-I islets with intensely stained mantle cells, and type-II islets with a much lower concentration of these cells. On average, type-I islets were larger (244.8 microns +/- 6.1 SEM) than type-II islets (121.5 microns +/- 3.8 SEM). M35-immunoreactivity was present on the majority of D cells, which were characterized by their immunoreactivity to somatostatin [of 446 D cells 356 (79.8%) were M35-immunopositive]. However, only a small proportion of the intensely stained mantle cells belonged to the D cell population. Therefore, it is concluded that the majority of the intensely stained mantle cells represent glucagon-secreting A and/or pancreatic polypeptide-secreting F cells. The intensity of M35-immunoreactivity at the periphery and central core of the islets paralleled the density of cholinergic innervation, suggesting a positive correlation between the intensity of cholinergic transmission and the number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors at the target structures. The present study further revealed some striking parallels for the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor characteristics between the (endocrine) pancreas and the central nervous system.

Characteristics of two lines of guinea pigs (BHS and BHR) differing in bronchial sensitivity to acetylcholine and histamine exposure.

In a previous study, we reported that as model animals to be used in the study of bronchial asthma in humans, two lines of guinea pigs were developed by ourselves: bronchial hypersensitive line (BHS) and bronchial hyposensitive line (BHR) as a control. Studies on biological characteristics in guinea pigs of two lines were undertaken, and the following results were obtained. 1) Airway resistance of guinea pigs of the two lines to intravenously administered acetylcholine, histamine and leukotriene D4 was found to be different between BHS and BHR. Airway resistance of BHS to the chemicals was increased compared with those of BHR. 2) The number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in lung membrane preparation and its affinity increased significantly in BHS compared with those of BHR. In beta-adrenergic and histamine H1 receptors, there was observed no difference between BHS and BHR. 3) No difference in IgE antibody production to ovalbumin was observed between BHS and BHR. 4) When total leukocytes and differential leukocyte count (percentage, %) in peripheral blood of BHS and BHR were examined, relative percentage of lymphocytes and eosinophils was significantly higher in BHS than in BHR, while percentage of neutrophils was significantly lower in the former than in the latter.

Changes in muscarinic acetylcholine receptor binding in skin slices of cholinergic urticaria.

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors were studied in slices of unaffected skin and in lymphocyte membranes from 3 patients with cholinergic urticaria and 5 healthy subjects using receptor autoradiography and the radioligand [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding technique. Autoradiography revealed that muscarinic acetylcholine receptors were located in regions with sweat glands. The distribution of receptors did not differ qualitatively between patients and controls. However, the maximum number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors was reduced in skin from patients with cholinergic urticaria, by 44% as compared with the controls, whereas the binding affinity was not affected. Muscarinic cholinergic binding in lymphocyte membrane fractions obtained from patients with cholinergic urticaria did not differ statistically from that of healthy control persons.

Alterations of neuroreceptors in nasal hyperreactivity.

Cholinergic and adrenergic abnormalities have been observed in nasal allergy and may be due to changes in pharmacological characteristics of neuroreceptors. Radioligand receptor binding studies demonstrated no significant changes in affinities or densities of alpha-adrenoceptors, a decreased number of beta-adrenoceptors and a decreased affinity combined with a decreased number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

Muscarinic receptor plasticity in rats lesioned in the nucleus basalis of Meynert

The present study investigated the effects of chronic treatment with scopolamine (10 mg/kg i.p. for 21 days) on the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the frontoparietal cortex of rats, lesioned at the level of the nucleus basalis of Meynert. Ibotenic acid (25 nmol in 0.5 μl) was injected bilaterally or unilaterally into the area of this nucleus and produced a major impairment of the cortical cholinergic system. These lesions depleted specifically frontoparietal cortical choline acetyltransferase activity. Sham-operated rats were similarly operated but no neurotoxin was injected. The chronic treatment with scopolamine caused a significant increase in the binding of [ 3H](−)quinuclidinylbenzilate to muscarinic receptors in the frontoparietal cortex of control and sham-operated rats but not in lesioned animals. This increase was due to an up-regulation in the number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, without significant change in their affinity. These results suggest that a functional presynaptic cholinergic terminal is necessary for the plasticity of muscarinic receptors in the central nervous system.

Increased muscarinic receptor binding in heart membranes by an inhibitor of protein kinase C

The number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (MAChRs), as detected by binding of [ 3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB), was investigated under conditions which promote protein phosphorylation. Incubation of a crude heart membrane preparation in the presence of ATP/Mg 2+ reduced MAChR number by 50%. Incubation with polymyxin B, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, blocked the efrect of ATP/Mg 2+ and increased MAChR number by 74%.

Mechanism responsible for alterations in numbers of autonomic nerve receptors in experimental asthma.

This study was designed to elucidate the mechanism responsible for alterations in the numbers of autonomic nerve receptors in experimental asthma. In the in vivo experiment, guinea pigs sensitized by exposure to aerosol of 2% ovalbumin for 7-8 min for 10 successive days were used as the experimental asthma group. The control group was exposed to saline. Beta-, alpha-1-adrenergic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in lung membranes were studied by direct binding techniques using l-3H-dihydroalprenolol, 3H-bunazosin and l-3H-quinuclidinyl benzilate, respectively. The experimental asthma group showed a 33% decrease in the number of beta-adrenergic receptors, a 37% increase in the number of alpha-1-adrenergic receptors and no change in the number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors compared with the control group. The endogenous phospholipase activity was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography using tridecanoyl phosphatidylcholine as a substrate. The phospholipase activity in lung membranes in the experimental asthma group was elevated by 50% compared with that in the control group. Lung membrane phospholipid composition was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography with a flame ionization detector. In the experimental asthma group, the amounts of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine decreased significantly compared with those in the control group. In the in vitro experiment after pretreatment of lung membranes with phospholipase A2, a decreased number of beta-adrenergic receptors, an increased number of alpha-1-adrenergic receptors and no change in the number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors were observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Concerning the assays for autonomic nerve receptors. Effects of incubation temperature and time on alterations in the number of receptors.

Alterations in autonomic nerve receptors play an important role in various pathological conditions, including bronchial asthma. Nevertheless, receptor assay conditions such as incubation temperature and incubation time are not consistent among various investigators. This study was designed to clarify the effects of incubation temperature and time on alterations in the number of autonomic nerve receptors. Guinea pig lung membranes were divided into five groups which were incubated under different incubation temperatures and over different incubation times. After incubation, the following experiments were performed. Beta-, alpha-1-adrenergic, and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor assays were performed by direct binding technique using L-3H-dihydroalprenolol, 3H-bunazosin, and L-3H-quinuclidinyl benzilate, respectively. Elevation of incubation temperature and prolongation of incubation time caused a significant decrease in the number of beta-adrenergic receptors and an increase in the number of alpha-1-adrenergic receptors. The number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors did not change significantly in spite of changes in incubation temperature and time. Adenylate cyclase activity was measured by following the synthesis of cyclic adenosine monophosphate from nonradioactive adenosine triphosphate. Isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity decreased significantly in correspondence with the elevation of incubation temperature and prolongation of the incubation time. Contents of free fatty acids in lung membranes were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Free fatty acid contents increased significantly in accordance with elevation of incubation temperature and prolongation of incubation time which reflected on the degradation of membrane phospholipids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alteration in the regulation of neuronal muscarinic acetylcholine receptor number induced by chronic lithium in neuroblastoma cells

Because previous studies in whole-animal models have reported inconsistent results regarding the effect of chronic lithium on the regulation of the neuronal muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) number, we examined the effect of chronic lithium on the regulation of mAChR in cell cultures of N1E-115, a mouse neuroblastoma clone, Li + induced a concentration- and time-dependent increase in the mAChR number, with a 30% increase in specific [ 3H]quinuclidinyl binding in membrane homogenates induced by a 5-day incubation with 10 mM Li +. Agonist-induced down-regulation of the mAChR number was also inhibited by lithium: chronic treatment with 10 mM Li + caused a 25–35% reduction in the magnitude of carbachol. In contrast, the decrease in the mAChR number induced by the synergistic action of A23187 (300 nM) and phorbol myristate acetate (300 nM) was unaffected by Li +. These results demonstrate that chronic treatment with Li + increases the basal mAChR number and dampens the decrease in receptor number induced by a muscarinic agonist in neuroblastoma cells. The implications of these results in understanding the functional regulation of neuronal mAChR number are discussed.

Biochemical and physical analyses of newly synthesized muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in cultured embryonic chicken cardiac cells

Exposure of cultured embryonic chicken cardiac cells to the muscarinic agonist carbachol results in a 70-80% decrease in the number of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR) expressed on the surface of the cells. Removal of the agonist results in a gradual increase in mAChR number because of the accumulation of newly synthesized receptors, reaching the control level in 14 hr. Measurements of increases in K+ permeability elicited by carbachol show that even after the complete recovery of receptor number, the sensitivity to agonist is reduced. The EC50 for carbachol is 13-fold higher in cells that have been exposed to carbachol and allowed to recover for 18 hr than in control cells, but is not significantly different from the EC50 for control cells 24 hr after agonist removal. The sensitivity of the mAChR-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase is also decreased at 18 hr, and recovers by 24 hr. These increases in sensitivity of mAChR-mediated responses are not blocked by administration of cycloheximide, and thus do not require de novo protein synthesis. The number of surface mAChR available for ligand binding can be reduced by 85-100% by treatment with the affinity-alkylating antagonist propylbenzilylcholine mustard. Newly synthesized mAChR that appear following affinity alkylation are also poorly coupled to mAChR-mediated increases in K+ permeability, indicating that decreased physiological sensitivity is not due to a nonspecific effect of long-term agonist exposure on general cellular function, but reflects, rather, an intrinsic property of newly synthesized mAChR. The decrease in sensitivity of the mAChR-mediated responses is due neither to a lack of expression of mAChR on the surface nor to reduced agonist affinity of the mAChR. Cells exhibiting decreased responsiveness contain GTP-binding proteins, which function normally in the inhibition of adenylate cyclase and appear to be identical to pertussis toxin substrates from control cells using gel electrophoresis; therefore, the decreased sensitivity does not appear to be the result of an alteration in coupling proteins. These cells also contain mAChR that do not differ from those in control cells either by molecular weight or isoelectric point. Thus, the diminished sensitivity observed in cells containing newly synthesized receptors is either caused by a small change in mAChR not detected by these electrophoretic techniques or by a change in an as-yet-undefined component of mAChR transduction system in the heart.

Regulation of Neuronal Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Number by Protein Glycosylation

Tunicamycin, a potent inhibitor of protein glycosylation, was used to study the role of protein glycosylation in the regulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) number in cultures of N1E-115, a murine neuroblastoma cell line. At a concentration of 0.35 microgram/ml, tunicamycin inhibited macromolecular incorporation of [3H]mannose by 75-80%, whereas incorporation of [3H]leucine was reduced by only 10%. Treatment with tunicamycin caused a 30% decrease in total membrane mAChR number within 48 h as determined by a filter-binding assay using [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB), a highly specific muscarinic antagonist. Tunicamycin also inhibited the recovery of total membrane mAChR by 70% following carbachol-induced down-regulation. The rate of mAChR degradation (control t1/2 12-14 h) was unaffected by incubation with tunicamycin. Intact cell binding studies using [3H]QNB (a membrane-permeable ligand) to measure total cellular (internal plus cell surface) mAChR and [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS, a membrane-impermeable ligand) to measure cell surface mAChR were conducted to determine whether tunicamycin selectively depleted cell surface mAChR. With 12 h of treatment with tunicamycin, cell surface mAChR number declined by 35%, whereas total cellular mAChR fell by only 10%. The ratio of cell surface receptor to total receptor decreased by 45% after 24 h. These results indicate that protein glycosylation is required for the maintenance of cell surface mAChR number. Incubation with tunicamycin causes a selective depletion of cell surface mAChR, implying that protein glycosylation plays a critical role in transport and/or incorporation of mAChR into the plasma membrane.