title: Dual action of n-butanol on neuronal nicotinic alpha4beta2 acetylcholine receptors.
abstract: N-alcohols exert a dual action on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors with short-chain alcohols exhibiting potentiating action and long-chain alcohols exhibiting inhibitory action. n-Butanol lies at the transition point from potentiation to inhibition. To elucidate the mechanism of dual action of alcohols, the effects of n-butanol on the human alpha4beta2 ACh receptors expressed in the HEK293 cell line were analyzed in detail by the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Prolonged applications of n-butanol evoked small currents with an EC(50) value of 230 +/- 90 mM and a Hill coefficient of 1.8 +/- 0.4. This current was blocked by either the ACh channel blocker mecamylamine or the receptor blocker dihydro-beta-erythroidine, indicating that butanol activated receptors as a partial agonist. As expected from its partial agonist action, n-butanol also modulated ACh-induced currents in a concentration-dependent manner. Butanol at 300 mM potentiated currents induced by low concentrations of ACh (</=30 microM), while inhibiting the currents induced by high concentrations of ACh (100-3,000 microM). In addition, butanol at a low concentration (10 mM) suppressed the currents evoked by 10 to 3,000 microM ACh, a result consistent with a channel-blocking action. Most features of n-butanol effects were satisfactorily simulated by a model in which butanol acts as a partial agonist and as a channel blocker.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611-3008, USA.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Jay Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Narahashi
mesh_terms: D020001:1-Butanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; C403531:nicotinic receptor alpha4beta2; D020001:1-Butanol