On the interaction of drugs with the cholinergic nervous system. VI. Tolerance to physostigmine in mice

Effects of azaprophen, scopolamine and trihexyphenidyl on schedule-controlled behavior, before and after chronic physostigmine

The effects of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists, azaprophen (0.3-10.0 mg/kg), scopolamine (0.01-3.0 mg/kg) and trihexyphenidyl (0.3-10.0 mg/kg) were examined in rats using a VI 18 s schedule of food reinforcement, before and after chronic physostigmine administration. All three compounds produced dose-dependent decreases [corrected] in the rate of responding. Scopolamine was more potent than trihexyphenidyl which was equipotent to azaprophen. All three compounds antagonized the response rate-decreasing effects of physostigmine in a dose-dependent fashion. Following 43 consecutive daily administrations of physostigmine (0.4 mg/kg), partial tolerance developed to its response rate-decreasing effects. When the three antagonists were again examined (alone and in combination with physostigmine), their effects were generally unchanged. These results further characterize the behavioral effects of azaprophen, scopolamine and trihexyphenidyl. These results also suggest that tolerance to physostigmine's effects can be mediated through behavioral rather than pharmacological mechanisms.

Tolerance to oxotremorine's effects on schedule-controlled behavior in physostigmine-tolerant rats

Tolerance to the effects of physostigmine and oxotremorine in rats was evaluated using a multiple fixed-ratio 10, extinction schedule of food presentation. Physostigmine was administered either once daily or three times daily for 18 consecutive days. Tolerance to physostigmine's response decreasing effects was observed under both administration regimens. Cumulative dose-effect functions for oxotremorine (0.0056-0.562 mg/kg) were determined before and after chronic physostigmine administration. Oxotremorine's potency to produce response rate suppression decreased in rats receiving physostigmine three times daily but did not substantially change in rats receiving single daily injections. These results demonstrate that the dose or duration of action of physostigmine can determine whether tolerance to physostigmine's effects is accompanied by cross-tolerance to oxotremorine's effects.

Environmental influences on the development of tolerance to the effects of physostigmine on schedule-controlled behavior

The influence of environmental variables on the development of tolerance to physostigmine's effects in rats was examined using multiple fixed-ratio, extinction schedules of food presentation. Initial administration of physostigmine (0.4 mg/kg) produced nearly maximal decreases in the number of food pellets delivered, running response rate, and overall response rate, under multiple FR 10, EXT and multiple FR 50, EXT schedules. With repeated administration, tolerance to physostigmine's effects was observed when 10 responses were required to produce reinforcement but was not observed when 50 responses were required to produce reinforcement. Tolerance under the multiple FR 10, EXT schedule of reinforcement was also observed when physostigmine was administered post-session. When tolerance was acquired, it was retained for up to 25 drug-free days. These results suggest that tolerance to physostigmine's effects on schedule-controlled behavior is strongly influenced by response requirement, independently of physostigmine-induced reinforcement loss. Additionally, tolerance is not dependent on experience with the schedule while under the effects of physostigmine, and is retained for a substantial period of time in the absence of continued physostigmine administration.

Tolerance to anticholinesterase compounds in mammals

Administration of multiple, sublethal doses of organophosphorus insecticides induces the development of tolerance to their toxicity. Among the different hypotheses investigated to explain the mechanism of this phenomenon, the one which has received the greatest experimental support is a downregulation of the muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Subsensitivity to cholinergic agonist has been demonstrated in vivo and in vitro in isolated organ preparations. Receptor binding experiments using muscarinic antagonists and agonists revealed a decrease of cholinergic receptors in central and peripheral tissues. Tolerance to another class of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, carbamates has also been demonstrated. Differences from and similarities to organophosphate tolerance are discussed.

Tolerance to the carbamate insecticide propoxur

Male mice were given the carbamate insecticide propoxur (2-isopropoxy phenyl methylcarbamate; Baygon) in the drinking water at weekly increasing concentrations (from 50 to 2000 ppm), for a period of 6 weeks. At the end of the treatment the LD50 for propoxur was significantly higher in the treated animals as compared with controls. Propoxur-treated animals were also resistant to the hypothermic effect of an acute administration of the same compound. Groups of mice were challenged with the cholinergic agonist carbachol at intervals during the drinking water dosing and at its end. No differences in sensitivity to carbachol acute toxicity were found between control and treated animals. Propoxur-tolerant animals were also not resistant to the hypothermic effect of oxotremorine, another cholinergic agonist. [3H]Quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) binding (a measure of muscarinic receptor density and affinity) in forebrain, hindbrain and ileum never differed in control and treated mice. The possibility that repeated administrations of propoxur induced increased metabolic inactivation was tested by measuring hexobarbital sleeping time and carboxylesterase activity in treated and control mice. No changes in tissue carboxylesterase activities occurred but hexobarbital sleeping time was significantly reduced in propoxur treated animals suggesting an induction of hepatic microsomal enzymes. These results suggest that tolerance to propoxur is not mediated by a decrease of cholinergic receptors, as reported for other acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, but possibly by an enhancement of its metabolism.

Altered pilocarpine- or chlorpromazine-induced catalepsy after long-term treatment with cholinergic drugs

Long-term administration of the cholinergic drug pilocarpine attenuates the catalepsy induced by an acute injection of pilocarpine or the deopamine antagonist chlorpromazine. Similar results (i.e., tolerance to pilocarpine and cross-tolerance to chlorpromazine) were noted in mice chronically treated with the cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine but not in mice chronically treated with neostigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor which does not penetrate the central nervous system. Mice maintained on the anticholinergic scopolamine showed the opposite effect; there was an increase in the sensitivity to the catalepsy induced by pilocarpine or chlorpromazine. The results suggest that long-term changes in cholinergic receptors may indirectly alter the behavioral effects of drugs which act via dopamine.

On the interaction of drugs with the cholinergic nervous system. II. Cross-tolerance between phencyclidine derivatives and cholinergic drugs

A symmetrical cross-tolerance was found between two phencyclidine derivatives--phencyclidine and cyclohexamine--and also between two cholinergic drugs--physostigmine and oxotremorine. On the other hand, mice rendered tolerant to the phencyclidine derivatives showed cross-tolerance to these cholinergic drugs, but no cross-tolerance was observed in the opposite direction. The applicability of such experiments to the elucidation of neurochemical interactions of centrally acting drugs is discussed.