title: Captopril modulates acetylcholinesterase in human keratinocytes.
abstract: Human keratinocytes synthesize and secrete non-neuronal acetylcholine, which acts as a local cell signaling molecule, regulating functions like proliferation, cell adhesion, motility, desmosomal cell contact, and glandular activity. The keratinocyte acetylcholine axis is composed of the enzymes mediating acetylcholine synthesis (acetyltransferase) and degradation (acetylcholinesterase), and two classes of acetylcholine receptors. In this study we investigated the effect of captopril, an ACE-inhibitor, on acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine secretion in human keratinocytes. We analyzed the level of acetylcholinesterase in HaCat and NHEK cells by RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. In addition, the effect of captopril on AChE activity was evaluated. We found that captopril induces a strong AChE up-regulation leading to ACh degradation and reduced secretion. Our results suggest that acantholysis induced by ACE-inhibitors might be linked to altered level of Ach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Second University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Adone
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baroni
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buommino
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruocco
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrazzuolo
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Filippis
authors.forename: Rocco Alfredo
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Satriano
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ruocco
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cozza
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tufano
mesh_terms: D000051:Acantholysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002216:Captopril; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D000109:Acetylcholine