title: Age-related deficits of central muscarinic cholinergic receptor function in the mouse: partial restoration by chronic piracetam treatment.
abstract: The effect of aging on muscarinic cholinergic receptor function in dissociated cell aggregates of the mouse brain was investigated using two biochemical models, i.e., carbachol-induced accumulation of inositol monophosphates and carbachol-induced desensitization of muscarinic cholinergic receptors as measured by the sequestration of specific 3H-N-methyl-scopolamine binding. While aging strongly reduced carbachol-induced inositol monophosphate accumulation, desensitization was not affected in the brains of aged animals. Chronic treatment of aged mice with the nootropic drug piracetam (500 mg/kg daily PO) significantly elevated the agonist-induced accumulation of inositol monophosphates possibly by increasing the available number of muscarinic cholinergic receptors not being in a desensitized state. The results support the hypothesis that nootropics like piracetam might act in part by restoring age-related deficits of central muscarinic cholinergic receptor function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, FRG.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stoll
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D051379:Mice; D019832:N-Methylscopolamine; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism; D010889:Piracetam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012602:Scopolamine Derivatives / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D012602:Scopolamine Derivatives; D002217:Carbachol; D019832:N-Methylscopolamine; D010889:Piracetam