Application of principles of steady-state kinetics to the estimation of brain acetylcholine turnover rate: effects of oxotremorine and physostigmine.

We have measured the turnover rate of acetylcholine (ACh) in the brains of mice injected with doses of oxotremorine and physostigmine that cause a prolonged increase of ACh concentration in brain. The method used to measure turnover rate of ACh is an application of principles of steady-state kinetics to the change with time of brain choline (Ch) and ACh specific radioactivities after an intravenous pulse injection of phosphorylcholine. We have found that when the concentration of brain ACh and Ch is increased to a new steady state as a result of oxotremorine and physostigmine injections the turnover rate of brain ACh decreases from 0.34 mumol/g/hr (in saline-treated mice) to 0.12 and 0.061 mumol/g/hr, respectively. The possibility that an increase of brain Ch or ACh concentrations plays a role in the control of brain ACh turnover rate is discussed.