Characterization of muscarinic autoreceptors in the rabbit hippocampus and caudate nucleus.

Oxotremorine-induced inhibition of electrically evoked release of 3H-acetylcholine from brain slices preincubated with 3H-choline was used to characterize muscarinic autoreceptors in rabbit hippocampus and caudate nucleus. From the shifts to the right of the concentration-response curves of oxotremorine in the presence of muscarinic receptor antagonists, the following pKB values [95% C.I.] were determined in the hippocampus: tripinamide: 8.7 [8.5, 8.8]; himbacine: 8.4 [8.3, 8.5]; AQ-RA 741: 8.3 [8.2, 8.5]; 4-DAMP: 8.2 [8.0, 8.3]; hexahydrosiladifenidol: 7.4 [7.2, 7.5]; AF-DX 116: 7.3 [7.1, 7.4]; pirenzepine: 6.8 [6.6, 7.0]; and PD102807: 6.3 [6.0, 6.5]. In the caudate nucleus: tripinamide: 9.1 [8.9, 9.2]; 4-DAMP: 8.3 [8.2, 8.5]; himbacine: 8.1 [8.0, 8.2]; AQ-RA 741: 8.1 [8.0, 8.3]; hexahydrosiladifenidol: 7.3 [7.2, 7.4]; AF-DX 116: 7.1 [7.0, 7.2]; pirenzepine: 6.7 [6.6, 6.8]; and PD102807: 6.5 [6.2, 6.8]. These pKB values fit best to literature values for M2 receptors, suggesting that the muscarinic autoreceptor of the rabbit hippocampus and caudate nucleus is the m2 gene product.