Influence of atropine and N-methyl atropine pretreatments on behavioral and physiological effects of the irreversible muscarinic agonist, BM123

The irreversible muscarinic agonist, BM123 (63 mu moles kg-1, IV), was shown to produce central and peripheral physiological signs characteristic of cholinergic agonists. It also induced hypothermia, elevated nociceptive thresholds, reduced locomotor activity and disrupted spontaneous alternation performance in rats. The centrally acting muscarinic antagonist, atropine (50 mu mole kg-1) prevented or reduced all the above effects of BM123 when given SC 40 min prior to the BM123 injection. In contrast, the peripherally acting muscarinic antagonist, N-methyl atropine, prevented only the peripheral effects and the elevated nociceptive thresholds. Habituation of activity during a 20 min session was observed in all groups despite different levels of general activity. These findings are consistent with a model in which atropine and N-methyl atropine compete with BM123 for reversible association with the muscarinic receptor. In the case of BM123 administered alone, the association results, first, in agonist effects and proceeds to form an irreversible complex. Our present results show that by competing with BM123 for mAChR sites during the initial, reversible state of the interaction, atropine blocks the cholinomimetic effects of the agonist during both this state and its otherwise subsequent irreversible state.