title: Central cardiovascular effects of physostigmine in anesthetized cats.
abstract: The central cardiovascular effects of a cholinesterase inhibitor, physostigmine, were studied in alpha-chloralose- and urethane-anesthetized cats, to determine the underlying site and mechanism of action. Intravenous injection of physostigmine produced a dose-dependent fall in blood pressure and heart rate. These responses were blocked by intravenous injection of atropine; however, the peripheral antimuscarinic agent, methscopolamine, failed to inhibit the depressor response. In decerebrated cats, physostigmine elicited similar responses in blood pressure and heart rate as in intact animals. In spinal cats, physostigmine failed to evoke any response. Physostigmine significantly reduced sympathetic nervous activity, as measured by renal sympathetic nerve discharges, indicating that the fall in blood pressure was due to a decrease in sympathetic tone. These results demonstrate that physostigmine, which crosses the blood-brain barrier, produces a depressor response through stimulation of muscarinic cholinergic receptors, located in the medullary region and that the effect is mediated by a decrease in sympathetic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ally
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murayama
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002415:Cats; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation; D008297:Male; D019832:N-Methylscopolamine; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000187:drug effects; D012602:Scopolamine Derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects; D014628:Vagotomy
chemical_list: D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D012602:Scopolamine Derivatives; D001285:Atropine; D010830:Physostigmine; D019832:N-Methylscopolamine