Age-related reductions in rat atrial high affinity choline uptake, ACh synthesis, and ACh release. A brief note.

We have developed a rat atrial mince preparation that can take up choline, acetylate it, and then release acetylcholine in a depolarization-dependent manner. We demonstrate that aging appears to reduce the functional cholinergic activity in this tissue, which may be important for understanding how senescence alters the regulation of cardiac activity.