title: Enhancement of purinergic neurotransmission by galantamine and other acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in the rat vas deferens.
abstract: Galantamine, a mild acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and an allosteric ligand of nicotinic receptors, enhanced in a concentration-dependent manner the amplitude of purinergic twitch contractions of the electrically stimulated rat vas deferens (0.2 Hz, 1 ms, 60 V). Other acetylcholinesterase inhibitors also increased the twitches, showing a hierarchy of potencies of galantamine>physostigmine>tacrine>rivastigmine=donepezil. The potentiations seem to be unrelated to the ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase, since the hierarchy of potencies to block the enzyme in vas deferens was tacrine>physostigmine>rivastigmine>donepezil>galantamine. Acetylcholine also increased the twitches; such effect was produced by a low range of concentrations of acetylcholine (10(-10)-10(-7) M). This facilitatory effect of acetylcholine on twitches was significantly potentiated by galantamine (10(-7)-10(-6) M), but not by rivastigmine or donepezil. A striking enhancement of twitches was also caused by charybdotoxin, a blocker of high-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, and by 4-aminopyridine, a non-specific blocker of K+ channels; in addition, apamin, a blocker of small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels, induced a lower potentiation. The antagonist mecamylamine (10(-7)-10(-6) M) reduced by 80% the potentiation by galantamine, indicating the involvement of nicotinic receptors. Therefore, it is suggested that, besides an inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, some additional mechanisms, such as blockade of Ca2+-dependent K+ channels, or activation of nicotinic receptors of nerve terminals, might be involved in twitch potentiation. These results are relevant in the context of the clinical use of galantamine to improve cognition and behaviour in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), 04044-020 São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Afonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caricati-Neto
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos Abech
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: D'angelo
authors.forename: Haydee
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: Neide
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hyppolito Jurkiewicz
authors.forename: Antonio G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Aron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jurkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077265:Donepezil; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005702:Galantamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007189:Indans / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D048448:Phenylcarbamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011983:Receptors, Purinergic / Q000187:drug effects*; D000068836:Rivastigmine; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*; D013619:Tacrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D048448:Phenylcarbamates; D010880:Piperidines; D011983:Receptors, Purinergic; D005702:Galantamine; D013619:Tacrine; D009538:Nicotine; D000077265:Donepezil; D010830:Physostigmine; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D000109:Acetylcholine; D000068836:Rivastigmine