Muscarine receptor types mediating autoinhibition of acetylcholine release and sphincter contraction in the guinea-pig iris

Summary The potencies of several muscarine receptor antagonists in blocking either the autoinhibition of acetylcholine release or the muscarinic contraction of the sphincter muscle upon acetylcholine release were investigated in the guinea-pig iris. The agonist at pre- or postjunctional muscarine receptors was acetylcholine released upon field stimulation (5.5 Hz, 2 min) of the irides preloaded with ¹⁴C-choline. The stimulation-evoked ¹⁴C-overflow was doubled in the presence of atropine 0.1 mol/l but unaffected by the agonist (±)-methacholine (50 mol/l). Thus, under the present stimulation conditions, the autoinhibition of acetylcholine release on the guinea-pig iris cholinergic nerves was nearly maximally activated. Isotonic contractions of the irides upon field stimulation consisted of a rapid, atropine (0.1 mol/l). peak phase followed by a sustained contraction which involved a cholinergic and a non-cholinergic stimulation of the sphincter muscle. The M₂-selective antagonists methoctramine (10 mol/l) and gallamine (100 µmol/l). increased both the ¹⁴Goverflow and the peak contractions evoked by field stimulation. In contrast, the M₃-selective antagonist hexahydrosiladifenidol (0.1–10 mol/l) failed to affect the evoked ¹⁴C-release but concentration-dependently (1–10 mol/l) reduced the iris contractions. Pirenzepine (10 mol/l) enhanced the evoked ¹⁴C-overflow and inhibited the peak contractions (0.1–10 mol/l; maximal effect at 10 mol/l). The low potency of the antagonist at both receptor sites indicates that an M₁ muscarine receptor is not involved. The results are consistent with the idea of M₂ muscarine receptors mediating autoinhibition of acetylcholine release in the guinea-pig iris and M₃-like receptors inducing the contraction of the sphincter muscle. Send offprint requests to I. T. Bognar at the above address