Role of muscarinic cholinergic transmission in Edinger-Westphal nucleus-induced choroidal vasodilation in pigeon.

Activation of the parasympathetic ciliary ganglion input to the choroid causes increases in choroidal blood flow. We examined the role and the type of muscarinic receptors within the choroid that are involved in these increases in choroidal blood flow, using electrical stimulation of the nucleus of Edinger-Westphal (EW) to activate the ciliary ganglion input to choroid in ketamine anesthetized pigeons. Baseline choroidal blood flow and its EW-evoked increases measured as peak and total (area under the curve) responses were determined using laser Doppler flowmetry. The EW-evoked responses were reduced dose-dependently after administration of 4-diphenyl-acetoxy-N-methylpiperedine (4-DAMP), a relatively selective antagonist of M3 type muscarinic receptors, with a maximal mean decrease of 86% (peak response) and 93% (total response) at a dose of 10 microg kg(-1)i.v. without a significant effect on baseline choroidal blood flow, heart rate or systemic arterial blood pressure. Atropine, a non-selective antagonist of muscarinic receptors, decreased the EW-evoked responses to a lesser extent than 4-DAMP after intravenous administration of 1 mg kg(-1)(by 67% for peak response and by 53% for total response) or topical administration of a 5% solution (by 41% for peak response and by 62% for total response), both of which increased heart rate and systemic arterial blood pressure without a consistent effect on baseline choroidal blood flow. In contrast, himbacine (i.p. 10 microg kg(-1)), a relatively selective antagonist of M2 type muscarinic receptors, increased the EW-evoked parasympathetic cholinergic vasodilation (by 93% for the peak response and by 142% for the total response) without a significant effect on heart rate, systemic arterial blood pressure or baseline choroidal blood flow. The results of our study suggest a major role of M3 type muscarinic receptors in the EW-evoked increases in choroidal blood flow. Based on findings that the ciliary ganglion input to choroid does not synthesize nitric oxide but inhibitors of NO production do block EW-evoked choroidal vasodilation, it seems likely that the M3 receptors acted on by 4-DAMP are present on choroidal endothelial cells and mediate choroidal vasodilation via stimulation of endothelial release of nitric oxide. In contrast, M2 muscarinic receptors may play a presynaptic role in downregulating EW-evoked parasympathetic cholinergic vasodilation in avian choroid. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.