BACKGROUND It has previously been shown that deletion of chrna9, the gene encoding the alpha9 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit, results in abnormal synaptic terminal structure. Additionally, all nAChR-mediated cochlear activity is lost, as characterized by a failure of the descending efferent system to suppress cochlear responses to sound. In an effort to characterize the molecu...

introduction: the cholinergic system plays an important role in learning and memory. administration of either extracts of crocus sativus (saffron) or its constituent, crocin, reduced ethanol-induced memory impairment. based on the above findings, we investigated the effect of crocin in antagonizing spatial learning and memory impairment induced by scopolamine, a cholinergic receptor antagonist,...

To test the molecular nature of the NGF receptor responsible for the ability of NGF to rescue septal cholinergic neurons following axotomy, we infused polyclonal antibodies that act as specific agonists of trkA (RTA) into the lateral ventricle of fimbria-fornix lesioned animals. Rats receiving chronic intraventricular infusions of RTA showed significantly more low affinity NGF receptor immunore...

The relevance of perirhinal cortical cholinergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission for taste recognition memory and learned taste aversion was assessed by microinfusions of muscarinic (scopolamine), NMDA (AP-5), and AMPA (NBQX) receptor antagonists. Infusions of scopolamine, but not AP5 or NBQX, prevented the consolidation of taste recognition memory using attenuation of neophobia as an index...

Monoaminergic dysregulation is implicated in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and methylphenidate and amphetamines are the most frequently prescribed pharmacological agents for treating ADHD. However, it has recently been proposed that the core symptoms of the disorder might be due to an imbalance between monoaminergic and cholinergic systems. In this study, we used fibroblast c...

The physiological relevance of p75 neurotrophin receptor-mediated internalization of ligands with no apparent trophic functions by nerve cells remains unclear. Herein, we propose a homeostatic role for this in clearance of amyloid β (Aβ) in the brain. We hypothesize that uptake of Aβ in conjunction with p75NTR followed by its degradation in lysosomes endows cholinergic basalo-cortical projectio...

Evidence suggests that cholinergic input to the hippocampus plays an important role in learning and memory and that degeneration of cholinergic terminals in the hippocampus may contribute to the memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease. One of the more prominent effects of cholinergic agonists on hippocampal physiology is the potentiation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor currents ...

The pharmacological profile of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)(B) receptor regulating cholinergic twitch contraction in the guinea pig ileum myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle preparation was investigated. GABA and (-)-baclofen inhibited the contraction, exhibiting quite close potencies (pD(2) for GABA = 5.70; pD(2) for (-)-baclofen = 5.33). The compound CGP 47656 also reduced the choliner...

The brain cholinergic system is involved in a number of behaviors including arousal and cognitive processes. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, the function of the cholinergic system is severely compromised. AD patients with apolipoprotein E (apoE) ε4 allele(s) suffer more pronounced cholinergic deficits which are associated with severe cognitive impairments, pronounced cortical electroencep...

The involvement of central angiotensinergic and cholinergic mechanisms in the effects of the intracerebroventricularly injected somatostatin analog octreotide (Oct) on drinking, blood pressure, and vasopressin secretion in the rat was investigated. Intracerebroventricular Oct elicited prompt drinking lasting for 10 min. Water consumption depended on the dose of Oct (0.01, 0.1, and 0. 4 microgra...