Interactions between alinidine and responses to acetylcholine, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine of specific Helix central neurones.

Intracellular recordings were made from identified neurones in the brain of the snail, Helix aspersa. The effect of alinidine on the excitatory and inhibitory responses to acetylcholine and dopamine and on the excitatory response to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) was investigated. Alinidine was found to reduce the responses to acetylcholine and 5-HT and the excitatory response to dopamine but had no effect on the dopamine inhibitory response. pA2 values were determined for alinidine antagonism to indicate relative potency. The pA2 values against the excitatory responses of acetylcholine, dopamine and 5-HT were 5.8, 5.6 and 5.5 respectively. The pA2 value against acetylcholine inhibition was 3.5. From these studies it is suggested that alinidine interacts preferentially with the sodium inonophore, to a lesser degree with the chloride ionophore and not at all with the potassium ionophore on Helix central neurones.