title: Cholinergic effects on spinal dorsal horn neurons in vitro: an intracellular study.
abstract: The cholinoceptive properties of dorsal horn neurons (lamina III-V) were investigated by means of intracellular recordings from the rat isolated spinal cord slice preparation. In half of the neurons investigated, acetylcholine (ACh) evoked a dose-dependent slow depolarization and increase in excitability; hyperpolarization was observed in 10% of neurons. Acetyl-beta-methylcholine (MCh) similarly depolarized 39% and hyperpolarized 25% of neurons tested; depolarization was also observed following bethanechol. Responses to the muscarinic agonists were abolished by atropine (10(-5) M). Nicotine depolarized 84% of tested neurons; dihydro-beta-erythroidine (5 x 10(-5) M) and (+)-tubocurarine (10(-6) M) antagonized this depolarization. ACh-, MCh- and nicotine-induced depolarizations, associated with changes in input resistance, were maintained in the presence of tetrodotoxin (10(-6) M). Substance P, as well as repetitive electrical stimulation of the dorsal root, also evoked depolarization in ACh-sensitive neurons. Atropine, but not (+)-tubocurarine, diminished responses to both substance P and dorsal root stimulation. These results indicate that dorsal horn neurons are ACh-sensitive and possess both muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. In addition, the parallel sensitivity of neurons to muscarinic agonists, substance P and dorsal root stimulation, as well as the parallel antagonistic effect of atropine, are supportive of a common ionic mechanism underlying the activation of muscarinic and substance P receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Willetts
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murase
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Randić
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D010277:Parasympathomimetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010277:Parasympathomimetics