title: Cholinesterase activity in human pulmonary arteries and veins: correlation with mRNA levels.
abstract: Isolated intact human pulmonary arteries and veins were used to determine the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) or butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities in the absence or presence of two selective cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitors, iso-OMPA or BW284c51, respectively. These results were compared with the mRNA levels for each enzyme in human pulmonary vessels. Total ChE activities measured in presence of acetylthiocholine (ACTI, 1 mM) in intact vascular preparations were 45+/-04 and 114+/-07 mU/g tissue in human pulmonary arteries (n=14) and veins (n=14), respectively. These activities were completely abolished in presence of 10 microM neostigmine. In both types of vessels AChE and BChE activities were observed. These activities were at least 2-fold higher in human pulmonary veins when compared with arteries and were correlated with the accumulation of the corresponding transcripts (n=8). In each type of vessel, similar total ChE activities were detected in homogenized and intact preparations, while in human bronchial preparations this activity was 5-fold higher in homogenates than in intact preparations. Together these results provide evidence that the ChE activities in human pulmonary vessels may be extracellular and that the higher activity measured in veins as compared to arteries was associated with the differential accumulation of the corresponding transcripts.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U683, Faculté de Médecine X. Bichat, 16 rue Huchard, 75018 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kotelevets
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Walch
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chastre
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chatonnet
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dulmet
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brink
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Norel
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000368:Aged; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000201:enzymology*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase; D002802:Cholinesterases; D000109:Acetylcholine