Choline acetyltransferase activity and distribution in rat hearts after bilateral cervical vagotomy

The activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAt; E.C. 2.3.1.6) measured as the bromoacetylcholine-sensitive portion of the maximal rate of acetylcholine synthesis has been determined in homogenates of nine regions of the heart of control rats and rats sacrificed 72-74 h after bilateral cervical vagotomy. When related to the content of protein, the activity of ChAT was lowered by 30% in the atria and unchanged in the ventricles of vagotomized rats. The highest absolute decline caused by vagotomy was observed in the sinoatrial region; it was somewhat less in the rest of the right atrium and in the interatrial septum and considerably less in the left atrium. It is concluded that preganglionic parasympathetic fibres supply mainly the sinoatrial region and the right atrium, and that they do not branch to the ventricles. Preganglionic ChAT nts about 30% of total ChAT activity in the atria. The sinoatrio-ventricular gradient in the distribution of ChAT in the heart is due to uneven distribution of both the pre- and postganglionic ChAT pools (i.e., of both the pre- and postganglionic cholinergic nerve fibres and nerve cell bodies).