title: Release of non-neuronal acetylcholine from the isolated human placenta is affected by antidepressants.
abstract: Non-neuronal acetylcholine (ACh) is released from the human placenta into the extracellular space via organic cation transporters (OCTs). The present experiments investigated whether ACh release from epithelial cells is affected by drugs which are substrates of OCTs. The antidepressant drugs amitriptyline and doxepine were tested as both substances are not approved for pregnant women but frequently used. Release of ACh was measured in 10 min intervals over a period of 100 min. Test substances were added from t=50 min of incubation onwards. The effect was calculated by comparing the ACh release of the last three samples (t=70-100 min; B2) with that immediately before the application of the test substances (t=20-50 min; B1). The baseline ACh release amounted to 2.07+/-0.17 nmol/10 min (n=29; villus). Under control conditions a B2/B1 ratio of 0.78+/-0.02 was obtained. The following B2/B1 ratios were found, when therapeutic drugs were added: 0.54+/-0.04 (n=7; P<0.05) in the presence of 10 microM amitriptyline; 0.44+/-0.04 (10; P<0.01) in the presence of 10 microM doxepin; 0.73+/-0.04 (13) in the presence of 10 microM metformin; 0.76+/-0.06 (7) in the presence of 10 microM minoxidil; 0.63+/-0.03 (10) in the presence of 1 microM theophylline. The results demonstrate that antidepressants reduce the release of non-neuronal ACh at least in the human placenta, most likely by intracellular substrate competition at the polyspecific organic cation transporters (OCTs) but only at concentrations roughly 30-fold above the therapeutic range. Theophylline may also interfere with the release of non-neuronal ACh.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hopsital, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, D 55101 Mainz, Germany. wessler@uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: Ignaz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wessler
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herschel
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bittinger
authors.forename: Charles James
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000494:pharmacology; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004316:Doxepin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008687:Metformin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008914:Minoxidil / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D013806:Theophylline / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D004316:Doxepin; D000639:Amitriptyline; D008914:Minoxidil; D008687:Metformin; D013806:Theophylline; D000109:Acetylcholine