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Related Concept Videos

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions01:30

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions

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Indirect-acting cholinergic agonists, also known as anticholinesterases, exert their pharmacological effects by enhancing cholinergic transmission in various body parts, including the neuromuscular junction, autonomic cholinergic synapses, and the brain.
At the neuromuscular junction, these agents work by inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, allowing it to remain bound to the receptor and bind to nearby receptors. This process leads to repetitive firing of the endplate, causing muscle...
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Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions00:59

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions

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Direct-acting cholinergic agonists exert their pharmacological actions by mimicking the effects of acetylcholine on postsynaptic muscarinic receptors to generate parasympathetic responses. These agents elicit a range of physiological responses, including cardiovascular effects. For example, activation of muscarinic receptors induces bradycardia, decreased cardiac output, reduced peripheral resistance, and consequent hypotension. In the eye, stimulation of M3 receptors leads to smooth muscle...
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Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Mechanism of Action01:18

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Mechanism of Action

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Indirect-acting cholinergic agonists work by interacting with an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the synaptic cleft. They can be reversible or irreversible inhibitors and have different effects on the enzyme.
Reversible inhibitors like edrophonium bind to a specific part of the enzyme called the anionic catalytic site. They form noncovalent bonds, which means they are not strongly attached to the enzyme. This creates a temporary and less stable enzyme–inhibitor complex,...
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Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship01:22

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship

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Cholinergic agonists or cholinomimetics mimic the action of acetylcholine to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. They are categorized into direct-acting and indirect-acting agents. The direct-acting cholinergic drugs induce the parasympathetic response by directly binding to the muscarinic or nicotine receptors. In comparison, the indirect-acting cholinergic drugs prevent acetylcholine hydrolysis, indirectly contributing to the extended parasympathetic response.
The direct-acting...
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Cholinergic Receptors: Muscarinic01:25

Cholinergic Receptors: Muscarinic

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The pharmacological actions of acetylcholine are elicited via its binding to two families of cholinergic receptors or cholinoceptors, namely, muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. Muscarinic receptors are G protein-coupled receptors and have five subtypes, M1–M5. All mAChR subtypes are activated by acetylcholine and blocked by the antagonist, atropine. 
The subtypes M1, M3, and M5 couple with the Gq subunit and activate the phospholipase C (PLC) activity, mobilizing intracellular Ca2+....
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Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacological Actions01:28

Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacological Actions

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Antimuscarinic drugs block muscarinic receptors in multiple systems, including the gut, eye, smooth muscles, respiratory tract, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems. They produce similar effects with varying selectivity depending on the specific agent and tissue. Here are the key pharmacological actions of antimuscarinics:
Gastrointestinal Effects: Antimuscarinics reduce gut contractions, increase gastric emptying, and slow intestinal transit. They partly inhibit gastric acid secretion...
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Bladder Smooth Muscle Strip Contractility as a Method to Evaluate Lower Urinary Tract Pharmacology
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Preface: Cholinergic Mechanisms.

Marco A M Prado1, Pascale Marchot2, Israel Silman3

  • 1Robarts Research Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of Neurochemistry
|August 10, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This special issue explores cholinergic mechanisms, covering gene regulation, neuromuscular junctions, and neural circuits

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cholinergic neurotransmission is crucial for numerous physiological processes.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is vital for addressing neurological disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of current research on cholinergic mechanisms.
  • To highlight the broad impact of cholinergic systems in health and disease.

Main Methods:

  • Review articles synthesizing research from leading scientists.
  • Exploration of topics including gene regulation, synaptic function, and clinical implications.

Main Results:

  • Cholinergic mechanisms influence diverse functions from gene expression to behavior.
  • Research spans from molecular details to preclinical and clinical findings.

Conclusions:

  • The multifaceted nature of cholinergic systems underscores their physiological importance.
  • Continued research is essential for advancing our understanding and therapeutic interventions.