Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound

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Query: EC:3.1.1.7 (acetylcholinesterase)
28,390 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The presence of NADPH-diaphorase activity and acetylcholinesterase in the testis, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicle, pelvic plexus, prostate and urethra of man and guinea-pig was investigated with the nitro blue NADPH technique and the thiocholine method, respectively. In human material NADPH-diaphorase activity was found in the Leydig cells, Sertoli cells and the epithelial linings of the rete testis, the excretory ducts, seminal vesicle, prostate and urethra. The guinea-pig material showed staining of the Leydig cells and spermatozoa and similar epithelial staining of the tract as man. Nerves beneath the epithelium and in the muscle layers of cauda epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicle, prostate and urethra were also stained. NADPH-diaphorase-positive nerve cells were seen in the pelvic plexus. Some cells also displayed acetylcholinesterase activity but others showed activity for only one of the enzymes or no activity for either enzyme. In the cauda epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicle, prostate and urethra acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve fibres formed a plexus beneath the secretory cells. It is concluded that NADPH-diaphorase, generally accepted as a nitric oxide synthase, is present in glandular cells of the male genital tract. The enzyme is also present in nerves, where it is partly co-localized with acetylcholinesterase.
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PMID:NADPH-diaphorase in glandular cells and nerves and its relation to acetylcholinesterase-positive nerves in the male reproductive tract of man and guinea-pig. 969

Rats given antibodies against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) develop sympathetic dysfunction stemming from losses of preganglionic neurons in spinal cord. Central effects of AChE antibodies are surprising since IgG does not readily cross the blood-brain barrier, and lesions of peripheral terminals should not cause cell death. This study was designed to explore the distribution of central neural damage and to investigate features that might account for vulnerability. Rat spinal cord and brainstem were stained for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immunoreactivity. Four months after administration of AChE antibodies, ChAT-positive neurons in the intermediolateral nucleus (IML) were 61-66% fewer throughout the thoracolumbar cord (T1, T2, T8, T12, L1). NOS-positive neurons in these loci were affected to the same extent by antibody-treatment, although they were only two-thirds as numerous. By contrast, neurons in the central autonomic nucleus of the thoracolumbar cord were scarcely affected. These results point to immunochemical differences in the central autonomic outflow, which may partially explain the puzzling selectivity of neural damage in AChE immunolesioning. Different results were obtained after guanethidine sympathectomy, which ablated nearly all neurons in the superior cervical ganglion without any effect on preganglionic neurons in the IML. Therefore, if the central effects of antibodies are indirectly mediated by loss of trophic support from the periphery, this support cannot arise from adrenergic neurons but must come from other ganglionic cells.
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PMID:Acetylcholinesterase immunolesioning: regional vulnerability of preganglionic sympathetic neurons in rat spinal cord. 971 May 15

The purpose of this study was to investigate the specificity and sensitivity of NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-D) staining in suction rectal biopsies (SRB) to determine whether it can be used as a diagnostic test for Hirschsprung's disease (HD) and related disorders. We studied SRB material in 80 patients suspected of having such disorders taken at 3, 5, and 7 cm above the pectinate line. Eight-micron sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, acetylcholinesterase histochemistry, and NADPH-D histochemistry. Normal biopsy specimens demonstrated strong NADPH-D reactivity in the submucosal ganglia and a large number of NADPH-D-positive fibers in the muscularis mucosae (MM). In contrast, there were no NADPH-D-positive fibers in the MM in patients with HD and hypertrophic nerve trunks stained weakly. Patients with hypoganglionosis (HYPG) demonstrated only a few NADPH-D-positive fibers in the MM and scant submucosal ganglia. Our results show that it is possible to diagnose HD and HYPG in mucosal rectal biopsies containing MM only and stained by NADPH-D histochemistry. As there is no background staining in NADPH-D histochemistry, it is easy to detect NADPH-D-positive fibers. NADPH-D histochemical staining may be an important additional technique for diagnosing HD and related disorders.
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PMID:NADPH-diaphorase histochemical staining of suction rectal biopsies in the diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease and allied disorders. 971 71

The motor innervation of the smooth muscle coat of the human vas deferens is predominantly noradrenergic in type while a less dense and differently distributed presumptive cholinergic innervation is also in evidence, although the precise role of the latter is undetermined. Immunohistochemical studies have confirmed the presence of catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine beta hydroxylase (DbetaH) in the majority of fine, varicose intramuscular nerves, about two-thirds of which also contain neuropeptide Y (NPY). Minor populations of noradrenergic nerves contain enkephalin (ENK), galanin (GAL), somatostatin (SOM), or nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The presumptive cholinergic intramuscular nerves contain vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and NPY. The subepithelial nerves of the vas deferens are assumed to have a secretomotor function and are rich in acetylcholinesterase and NPY, many also containing either VIP or NOS. The muscle coat of the human vas deferens is poorly differentiated until after birth, the intramuscular nerves in the fetus being relatively thick and non-varicose. Development of a subepithelial nerve plexus lags behind that in the muscle coat but its density in the neonatal vas deferens resembles that seen in the adult. Observations on specimens of human vas deferens obtained at vasovasostomy carried out 1 to 15 years after vasectomy have shown a marked reduction in the density of noradrenergic nerves in the muscle coat of the testicular portion while that in the urethral portion remains unaltered. Furthermore, the subepithelial secretomotor nerves degenerate in the testicular portion. These long-term changes in the pattern of innervation of the vas deferens consequent upon vasectomy may have profound effects upon the outcome of vasovasostomy with respect to subsequent sperm maturation, transport, and viability.
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PMID:Structure and autonomic innervation of the human vas deferens: a review. 981 49

Stimulation of extrinsic nerves markedly alters pancreatic endocrine and exocrine secretion, yet little is known of the neurochemical organization and physiologic roles of specific neural pathways within the pancreas. Here we report histochemical staining for acetylcholinesterase (AChE), NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and several neuropeptides to identify the neurotransmitter content of rabbit pancreatic nerves. An extensive network of AChE-positive nerve fibers was found throughout the islets, acini, ducts, ganglia, and blood vessels. All pancreatic neurons were AChE positive, two thirds were NADPH-d positive, and many were NOS positive. Ganglia in the head/neck region were connected to the duodenal myenteric plexus by AChE- and NADPH-d-positive fibers, and NADPH-d-positive pancreatic neurons appeared to send processes toward both the duodenum and pancreas. Many pancreatic neurons were vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) positive, and VIP nerve terminals were abundant in ganglia, acini, islets, and ducts. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP-38)-positive fibers also were observed within acini and passing through ganglia. Substance P (SP)-, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-, and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH)-positive fibers were abundant along blood vessels and ducts, and varicose fibers were observed in pancreatic ganglia. Fine galanin-positive fibers were also occasionally observed running with blood vessels and through ganglia. Thus the rabbit pancreas receives a dense, diverse innervation by cholinergic, adrenergic, and peptidergic nerves and cholinergic pancreatic neurons, most also containing VIP or NOS or both, appear to innervate both endocrine and exocrine tissue, and may mediate local communication between the duodenum and pancreas.
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PMID:Morphology and histochemistry of the rabbit pancreatic innervation. 988 61

Pancreatic neurons receive and integrate synaptic input from a wide variety of extrinsic nerves while providing the predominant innervation of pancreatic acini, ducts, and islets of Langerhans. Here we report the first primary cultures of adult rabbit pancreatic neurons, isolated from extrinsic nerves and secretory cells, and evaluate the neurochemical and electrical properties of these neurons. Pancreatic cultures consisted of single and clustered neurons, extended varicose processes after 3-4 days in culture, and formed interconnecting networks of neurons after 7-10 days. Isolated pancreatic islet cells, added to established neuron cultures, remained attached and viable for several weeks and received innervation by varicose nerve fibers. Histochemical staining revealed populations of neurons positive for acetylcholinesterase (75%), NADPH-diaphorase (62%), nitric oxide synthase (73%), and/or vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) (65%). Intracellular recordings revealed active and passive electrical properties comparable to those of neurons from intact ganglia. Several distinct populations of neurons were identified by their firing patterns (phasic vs. tonic) in response to prolonged depolarizing currents or the amplitude and duration of their after-spike hyperpolarizations. Low-amplitude, pacemaker-like potentials were observed in 25% of the neurons and, in older cultures with extensive networks of fibers, spontaneous fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EP-SPs) also occurred. Thus these cultures retained the salient neurochemical and electrophysiologic properties observed in pancreatic neurons from intact ganglia and offer a good model for studies of the intrinsic innervation of the pancreas.
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PMID:Histochemistry and electrophysiology of cultured adult rabbit pancreatic neurons. 988 62

Intrinsic nitrergic (NO) neurons of the guinea-pig esophagus were histologically studied to elucidate the physiological significance of the myenteric plexus located in the esophageal striated muscle and smooth muscle of the lower esophageal sphincter. Double staining for PGP 9.5 immunohistochemistry and NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry, which depicts whole neuronal elements and nitrergic NO neurons, respectively, revealed that the plexus had different network patterns along the entire course of the esophagus, and that NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons made up on average 69% of the total number of myenteric neurons. Motor endplates of the esophageal striated muscles that were stained by acetylcholinesterase histochemistry, were often observed in association with NADPH-diaphorase positive varicose fibers that were traced to the myenteric ganglia, though their direct continuity with the neuronal cell bodies could not be ascertained. We conclude that the myenteric NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons in the guinea-pig esophagus contribute to the innervation of the striated muscles as well as the smooth muscles of the lower esophageal sphincter.
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PMID:Distribution of myenteric NO neurons along the guinea-pig esophagus. 991 23

Gastrointestinal motility disorders are of considerable clinical importance in humans and animals. Abnormalities of smooth muscle and the enteric nervous system have been described. We have identified and characterized a new mutant stock of rats that develops severe megacecum and colon with pseudo-obstruction, Familial Megacecum and Colon (FMC). The inheritance pattern of FMC was characterized by selective breeding. Gastrointestinal motility was evaluated radiographically. Complete pathologic evaluations, including ultrastructural examination and staining of colonic segments for acetylcholinesterase, peripherin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, substance P, nitric oxide synthase, and somatostatin, were performed. Spontaneous contractility and contractile force in isolated colonic muscle strips were examined. Familial megacecum and colon is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. The markedly dilated cecum and proximal portion of the colon are followed by a short, funnel-shaped segment and distal portion of the colon with normal or slightly reduced lumen. Although clinical features and gross anatomic changes of the colon resemble those of Hirschsprung's disease in humans and animals, aganglionosis is not a feature of FMC. An increase in somatostatin staining was observed in dilated regions of bowel. The spontaneous contractile frequency and contractile force were diminished in the affected colon. Familial megacecum and colon is a new mutant, distinct from previously described hereditary and targeted mutant rodent models that develop megacecum and colon as a result of distal colonic dysfunction. The functional or morphologic defect(s) that result in colonic dysfunction in rats with FMC was not determined. The disease may result from an absence or overexpression of a single or group of neurotransmitters or their respective neurons, receptor abnormalities, or defects in the intestinal pacemaker system.
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PMID:Familial megacecum and colon in the rat: a new model of gastrointestinal neuromuscular dysfunction. 1009 23

Mechanisms of relaxation induced by nerve stimulation were examined in isolated porcine iris sphincter muscle in reference to norepinephrine, nitric oxide (NO) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and the functional interaction of inhibitory and excitatory nerves. Changes in isometric tension were recorded in strips of the sphincter pupillae, which were stimulated by transmurally applied electrical pulses. The presence of neurons containing acetylcholinesterase and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was determined histochemically. Transmural electrical stimulation (0.5-20 Hz) produced a frequency-related contraction, which was reversed to a relaxation by atropine in prostaglandin F2alpha-contracted strips. The relaxant response was abolished by timolol and suppressed by metoprolol, a beta1-adrenoceptor antagonist, but was not influenced by butoxamine, a beta2-receptor antagonist. Norepinephrine-induced relaxations were also attenuated only by timolol and metoprolol. Treatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine, a NO synthase inhibitor, and [D-p-Cl-Phe6,Leu17]VIP, a VIP receptor antagonist, did not inhibit the neurogenic relaxation. Contractions induced by nerve stimulation were potentiated by timolol and physostigmine but not by the NO synthase inhibitor. In the sphincter muscle, cholinesterase- and TH-positive nerve fibers and bundles were histologically detected. It is concluded that porcine iris sphincter is innervated by cholinergic excitatory and adrenergic inhibitory nerves. The neurogenic relaxation is associated solely with activation of beta1 adrenoceptors by norepinephrine but is not mediated by NO or VIP.
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PMID:Mechanisms underlying the neurogenic relaxation of isolated porcine sphincter pupillae. 1019 8

The neurochemical organization of the striosomal compartment in the human striatum was analyzed by histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques applied to postmortem tissue from normal individuals. The striosomes were delineated by using the following markers: acetylcholinesterase (AChE), enkephalin (ENK), substance P (SP), calbindin-D28k (CB), parvalbumin (PV), calretinin (CR), limbic system-associated membrane protein (LAMP), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and NADPH-diaphorase. Comparisons were made between striosomal boundaries, as outlined by each marker applied on adjacent sections, and particular attention was paid to possible variations in the chemical features of striosomes along the rostrocaudal extent of the striatum. The main findings of this study are as follows: 1) the striosomal compartment is composed of two chemically distinct domains: a core and a peripheral region; 2) the core is largely devoid of CB and displays a less intense staining for ENK and LAMP than the peripheral region; 3) although striosomes are largely devoid of AChE, the activity of this enzyme is slightly higher in the core than in the peripheral region; 4) the core and peripheral regions are weakly stained for PV and intensely stained for SP; 5) ChAT-, CR- and NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons are preferentially distributed in the peripheral region; 6) at rostral striatal levels, striosomes are largely devoid of TH, whereas the inverse is true caudally; and 7) at caudal striatal levels, the peripheral region of striosomes is intensely stained for CB and ChAT. These results demonstrate that the striosomes in human display a strikingly complex and heterogeneous chemical architecture.
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PMID:Chemical heterogeneity of the striosomal compartment in the human striatum. 1049 46


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