Antagonism by cholinergic drugs of behavioural effects in cats of an anticholinergic psychotomimetic drug and enhancement by nicotine

Unilateral AMPA lesions of nucleus basalis magnocellularis induce a sensorimotor deficit which is differentially altered by arecoline and nicotine

One week after unilateral alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) lesions of nucleus basalis magnocellularis, rats showed significant lateralised bias in spontaneous turning and in turning induced by tail pinch or by placing the rat on a 45 degrees grid. Turning was biased to the lesioned side and this side also showed increased responsiveness to pin-prick stimulation of the skin (somaesthesia), snout and whisker stimulation and ammonia olfaction. Arecoline (0.5 mg/kg), at a dose which did not affect responses to sensorimotor stimulation in sham-operated rats, corrected the lesion-induced biased turning to tail pinch and the 45 degrees grid test and reduced the bias in the open field. In contrast, nicotine (0.05 mg/kg), at a dose which also did not substantially affect responses to sensorimotor stimulation in sham-operated rats, switched the lesion-induced turning bias towards the contralateral side. Neither cholinoceptor agonist reduced the lesion-induced increased sensory responsiveness. The effects of nicotine were blocked by the centrally acting nicotinic antagonist, mecamylamine (1.0 mg/kg), but not by hexamethonium (1.0 mg/kg), or ondansetron (0.01 mg/kg). Amphetamine (up to 1.0 mg/kg) did not affect the lesion-induced motor asymmetry. The results confirm that the basal forebrain cholinergic system plays a role in sensorimotor cortical functions, but suggest different functional roles for muscarinic and nicotinic receptors.

Comparative behavioral effects of anticholinergic agents in cats: psychomotor stimulation and aggression

The effect on behavior of eight anticholinergic agents: atropine, scopolamine, trihexyphenidyl, biperiden, homatropine, eucatropine, hexocyclium and propantheline, injected into the cerebral ventricle (ICV) of the cat was investigated and compared. The anticholinergic agents evoked: (1) psychomotor stimulation such as miaowing, loud calling, restlessness, impelling locomotion, jumping, vacant staring, apprehension and loss of interest of the surroundings; (2) aggression, hissing, threat, attack, defense, fighting with paws and flight; (3) autonomic responses including mydriasis, tachypnea, dyspnea, licking, vomiting, salivation, micturition and defection; and (4) motor phenomena comprising scratching, ataxia, rigidity, tremor, weakness with adynamia or myoclonic jerks. Convulsions appeared only after ICV injections of atropine and homatropine. The most characteristic behavioral effect of anticholinergic agents was psychomotor stimulation accompanied by mild aggressive responses. The only exception was propantheline which caused a muscular weakness and adynamia. Atropine and scopolamine alone induced a dose-dependent impelling locomotion as well as fighting behavior. Carbachol and eserine injected intracerebroventricularly reversed the locomotion autonomic and motor phenomena produced by anticholinergic agents administered similarly. It is suggested that anticholinergic agents acting as partial agonists, can produce their behavioral effects through central cholinoceptive sites.