Apparent down-regulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors of neuroblastoma cells by pilocarpine is due to occluded agonist.
Down-regulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors on N1E 115 neuroblastoma cells caused by muscarinic agonists has been studied. Whereas the potent agonist carbachol provokes a true down-regulation of receptors, the down-regulation caused by the partial agonist pilocarpine is only apparent and is actually due to the presence of pilocarpine taken up by the cells and released into the binding assays upon cell breakage.
D006801:Humans; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000378:metabolism
D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D010862:Pilocarpine; D012601:Scopolamine