title: Nicotinic action of anatoxin-a on guinea pig ileum antagonized by thymopentin.
abstract: (+)-Anatoxin-a (ANTX) stimulated guinea pig ileum contraction with a potency similar to that of acetylcholine (ACh); the stimulation was blocked by tubocurarine, hexamethonium, or atropine. Although the contraction stimulated by ANTX was blocked by atropine, no specific inhibition of the binding of [3H]N-methylscopolamine to ileum membranes was observed in the presence of ANTX. Furthermore, ANTX failed to stimulate the secretion of alpha-amylase from pancreatic acinar cells, a process that is activated by cholinergic agonists at the muscarinic receptors. When the ileum itself was stimulated by ACh, the contraction was not blocked by either hexamethonium or tubocurarine. Preincubation of the ileum with hemicholinium caused a 50% reduction in the ability of ANTX to stimulate contraction. Based upon these data, it was inferred that ANTX binds to postganglionic synaptic nicotinic receptors in the ileum, thus releasing endogenous ACh, which in turn causes ileum contraction by interacting with the postsynaptic muscarinic receptors. It was also observed that thymopentin (TP-5), a pentapeptide corresponding to positions 32-36 of thymopoietin, blocked the stimulation of ileum contraction by ANTX.
authors.affiliation: Applied Biochemistry Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, DC 20307-5100.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001337:Autonomic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052998:Microcystins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central / Q000494:pharmacology; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism*; D016305:Thymopentin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014326:Tropanes; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001337:Autonomic Agents; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D014326:Tropanes; C509783:anatoxin a; D000516:alpha-Amylases; D016305:Thymopentin