title: Cholinesterase inhibitors increase secretion of APPs in rat brain cortex.
abstract: We examined whether cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI) could alter the release of amyloid precursor protein (APP) from superfused brain cortical slices of the rat. Three ChEI, both reversible and irreversible, were tested for their ability to enhance the release of nonamyloidogenic soluble derivatives (APPs). These included: physostigmine (PHY), heptyl-physostigmine (HEP) and 2,2-dichloro-vinyldimethyl phosphate (DDVP), at concentrations producing cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition ranging from 5% to 95%. All three ChEI elevated APPs release significantly above control levels. Electrical field stimulation significantly increased the release of APPs within 50 min. Similar increase was observed after muscarinic receptor stimulation with bethanechol (BETHA). Tetrodotoxin (TTX) completely blocked the effect of electrical stimulation. These findings suggest that administration of ChEI to Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients may have a neuroprotective effect by activating normal APP processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield 62794-9230, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fusi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giacobini
mesh_terms: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000378:metabolism*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D018723:Bethanechol / Q000494:pharmacology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004006:Dichlorvos / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D018723:Bethanechol; C052450:physostigmine heptyl; D004006:Dichlorvos; D010830:Physostigmine