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Updated: Aug 23, 2026
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Published on: February 19, 2018
Does acetylcholinesterase inhibition affect catecholamine secretion by adrenomedullary cells?
Yehonatan Sharabi1, Reuven Zimlichman, Roshanak Mansouri
1Clinical Neurocardiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Background:
Splanchnic nerve stimulation evokes adrenomedullary catecholamine secretion via acetylcholine release and occupation of nicotinic cholinergic receptors on chromaffin cells.
Objectives:
To assess whether among cultured adrenomedullary cells there exists a population that tonically secretes acetylcholine. If so, then blockade of enzymatic breakdown of acetylcholine by addition of a cholinesterase inhibitor to the medium would increase occupation of nicotinic receptors by endogenous acetylcholine and thereby induce catecholamine release.
Methods:
Primary cultures of bovine adrenomedullary cells in 24-well plates (1 million cells per well) were incubated after 48-72 hours with fresh incubation medium (control), medium with added secretagogues (nicotine, angiotensin II, or K+) or the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, edrophonium (10(-7) to 10(-3) M), for 1-20 minutes. Fractional release rates of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine were compared to a control. We also examined whether coincubation with edrophonium enhanced the effects of the secretagogues. All experiments were performed in quadruplicate and repeated three times.
Results:
Nicotine, angiotensin II, and K+ each elicited time-related release of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine by up to fourfold compared to the control. At all tested concentrations, edrophonium had no such effect. Co-incubation with edrophonium also failed to augment the secretory responses to nicotine, angiotensin II, or K+.
Conclusion:
Bovine adrenomedullary cells in primary culture do not include a population of tonically active cholinergic cells.
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