strychnine and 4-diphenylacetoxy-1-1-dimethylpiperidinium

Allosteric enhancement of the affinity of muscarinic receptors for their ligands offers a new way to influence cholinergic neurotransmission. The structure of the allosteric binding domain(s) and the features of agonists, antagonists and modulators which determine the occurrence of either positive or negative cooperativity require clarification. We tested interactions between allosteric modulators alcuronium, strychnine and brucine and eight antagonists at muscarinic receptors expressed in CHO cells. In experiments with unlabeled antagonists, all three modulators enhanced the affinity for 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-dimethylpiperidinium (4-DAMP) at the M2 receptors, and strychnine did so also at the M4 receptors. Positive interactions were also observed between alcuronium and L-hyoscyamine (M2) and scopolamine (M2), between strychnine and butylscopolamine (M4), L-hyoscyamine (M2 and M4) and scopolamine (M4), and between brucine and scopolamine (M2). Positive effects of alcuronium, strychnine and brucine on the affinity of the M2 receptors for 4-DAMP have been confirmed by direct measurements of the binding of [3H]-4-DAMP. A comparison of molecular models of several antagonists which are esters revealed that antagonists in which the distance between the N and the carboxyl C atoms corresponds to five chemical bonds are more likely to display positive cooperativity with alcuronium at the M2 receptors than the antagonists in which the N-carboxyl C distance corresponds to four chemical bonds.

Topics: Alcuronium; Allosteric Regulation; Animals; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Muscarinic Antagonists; N-Methylscopolamine; Piperidines; Radioligand Assay; Strychnine; Tritium

Acetylcholine receptors on isolated guinea pig cochlear outer hair cells (OHC) were characterized by radioligand binding. Equilibrium binding of [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin revealed a KD of 62 +/- 2 nM, Bmax = 7.2 +/- 1.8 x 10(7) binding sites/OHC, and a slowly reversible dissociation rate constant, kappa-1 = 2.2 +/- 0.01 x 10(-4) min-1. L-[3H]Nicotine bound reversibly (estimated KD approximately 230 nM and Bmax approximately 5 x 10(7)) with kinetic rate constants of association kappa-1 = 6.2 +/- 0.06 x 10(4) min-1 nM-1 and dissociation kappa-1 = 0.23 +/- 0.003 min-1. [3H]Strychnine bound to OHC with a KD of 35 +/- 6 nM and Bmax = 2.6 +/- 0.5 x 10(7), and binding increased 3-4 fold after membrane depolarization with 56.2 mM [K+], suggesting additional binding sites. Binding, seen only at > nM concentrations, of [3H]3-quinuclidinyl benzilate (KD = 11.5 +/- 5 nM; Bmax = 2.5 +/- 0.6 x 10(6)) was competitively inhibited by the muscarinic antagonists atropine and 4-DAMP (IC50 of 6.1 +/- 0.5 and 6.5 +/- 0.4 nM). The OHC receptor is thus an atypical nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtype with unusual pharmacological properties.

Topics: Animals; Atropine; Binding, Competitive; Bungarotoxins; Cochlea; Female; Guinea Pigs; Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer; In Vitro Techniques; Ligands; Male; Muscarinic Antagonists; Nicotine; Parasympatholytics; Piperidines; Quinuclidinyl Benzilate; Radioligand Assay; Receptors, Nicotinic; Strychnine

This report documents slow changes in cochlear responses produced by electrical stimulation of the olivocochlear bundle (OCB), which provides efferent innervation to the hair cells of the cochlea. These slow changes have time constants of 25-50 sec, three orders of magnitude slower than those reported previously. Such "slow effects" are similar to classically described "fast effects" in that (1) they comprise a suppression of the compound action potential (CAP) of the auditory nerve mirrored by an enhancement of the cochlear microphonic potential (CM) generated largely by the outer hair cells; (2) the magnitude of suppression decreases as the intensity of the acoustic stimulus increases; (3) they share the same dependence on OCB stimulation rate; (4) both are extinguished upon cutting the OCB; and (5) both are blocked with similar concentrations of a variety of cholinergic antagonists as well as with strychnine and bicuculline. These observations suggest that both fast and slow effects are mediated by the same receptor and are produced by conductance changes in outer hair cells. Slow effects differ from fast effects in that (1) fast effects are greatest for acoustic stimulus frequencies between 6 and 10 kHz, whereas slow effects peak for frequencies from 12 to 16 kHz, and (2) fast effects persist over long periods of OCB stimulation, whereas slow effects diminish after 60 sec of stimulation. The time course of the slow effects can be described mathematically by assuming that each shock-burst produces, in addition to a fast effect, a small decrease in CAP amplitude that decays exponentially with a time constant that is long relative to the intershock interval. The long time constant of the slow effect compared to the fast effect suggests that it may arise from a distinct intracellular mechanism, possibly mediated by second-messenger systems.

Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Animals; Atropine; Bicuculline; Cochlea; Decamethonium Compounds; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Efferent Pathways; Electric Stimulation; Guinea Pigs; Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer; Hexamethonium; Membrane Potentials; Models, Neurological; Nerve Fibers; Piperidines; Strychnine; Time Factors; Vestibulocochlear Nerve

Acetylcholine (ACh) is the major neurotransmitter released from the efferent fibers in the cochlea onto the outer hair cells (OHCs). The type of ACh receptor on OHCs and the events subsequent to receptor activation are unclear. Therefore we studied the effect of agonists and antagonists of the ACh receptor on isolated OHCs from the guinea pig. OHCs were recorded from in whole cell voltage and current clamp configuration. ACh induced an increase in outward K+ current (IACh) which hyperpolarized the OHCs. No desensitization to ACh application was observed. Cs+ replaced K+ in carrying the IACh. The IACh is Ca(2+)-dependent, time and voltage sensitive, and different from the IKCa induced by depolarization of the membrane potential. When tested at 100 microM, several agonists also induced outward current responses (acetylcholine > suberyldicholine > or = carbachol > DMPP) whereas nicotine, cytisine and muscarine did not. The IACh response to 10 microM ACh was blocked by low concentrations of traditional and non-traditional-nicotinic antagonists (strychnine > curare > bicuculline > alpha-bungarotoxin > thimethaphan) and by higher concentrations of muscarinic antagonists (atropine > 4-DAMP > AF-DX 116 > pirenzepine). Pharmacologically, the ACh receptor on OHCs is nicotinic.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Alkaloids; Animals; Atropine; Azocines; Bungarotoxins; Carbachol; Choline; Cholinergic Antagonists; Curare; Dimethylphenylpiperazinium Iodide; Guinea Pigs; Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer; In Vitro Techniques; Membrane Potentials; Nicotine; Piperidines; Pirenzepine; Quinolizines; Receptors, Cholinergic; Strychnine; Trimethaphan