Differential coupling of subtypes of the muscarinic receptor to adenylate cyclase and phosphoinositide hydrolysis in the longitudinal muscle of the rat ileum

The binding affinities of selective muscarinic antagonists were compared with their ability to block receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase and stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis in the longitudinal muscle of the rat ileum. When measured by competitive inhibition of the binding of N-[3H]methylscopolamine, the binding properties of selective muscarinic antagonists were consistent with a two-site model. Approximately 84% of the binding sites (major sites) had high affinity for the M2-selective antagonists methoctramine and AF-DX 116 (11[[2-[(diethylamino)methyl]-1- piperidinyl]acetyl]-5,11-dihydro-6H-pyrido [2,3-b][1,4]benzodiazepine-6-one), whereas the remainder of the sites (minor sites) had high affinity for hexahydrosiladifenidol and its para-fluoro derivative. There was good agreement between the estimates of the dissociation constants of muscarinic antagonists for the major binding site and those measured by antagonism of the adenylate cyclase response. There was also good agreement between the dissociation constants of muscarinic antagonists for the minor binding site and those measured by antagonism of the phosphoinositide response and the contractile response. Our data indicate that there are at least two types of muscarinic receptors in the longitudinal muscle of the ileum, the more abundant being an M2 receptor, which mediates an inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity, and the less abundant being an M3 receptor, which triggers contraction and phosphoinositide hydrolysis.