Activation of cholinergic pathway induced vasodilation in rat aorta using aqueous and methanolic leaf extracts of Gynura procumbens

Gynura procumbens (GP) is a herbal medicinal plant of South-East Asian origin, popularly recognised as 'Sambung nyawa'. The plant has been used traditionally to treat various diseases including hypertension. The anti-hypertensive activity of this plant has also been scientifically proven both in vivo and in vitro yet the investigation on its mechanisms of actions remains limited. Our previous study has demonstrated the vasodilatory action of both aqueous and methanol GP extracts possibly via activation of the cholinergic pathway and that kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside is the active ingredient responsible in mediating this effect. Hence, in this study we further confirm the involvement of the cholinergic pathway by using several pharmacological interventions, focusing on the downstream mechanism of this pathway. Our results showed that in the presence of endothelium, GP extracts induced vasodilation via activation of the muscarinic M3 receptors. However, in the absence of endothelium, GP mediated vasodilation possibly via stimulation of other muscarinic receptors and/or involvement of nicotinic receptors, a speculation that needs further investigations. GP-induced relaxation was markedly inhibited by nitric oxide (NO) blocker, L-NAME, suggesting that GP elicited ACh endothelium-dependent relaxation by producing NO in rat aortic rings. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that the vasodilatory effect of GP extracts appears to be mediated via cholinergic pathway.

Methylisogermabullone isolated from radish roots stimulates small bowel motility via activation of acetylcholinergic receptors

We have previously reported that extract of radish roots exhibits an increase in gastrointestinal motility through the activation of muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors. Based on the stimulatory activity-guided fractionation on rat ileal segments, this study isolated methylisogermabullone (MIGB, C23H31O5NS, MW 433) from methanol extracts of radish roots. MIGB caused a significant increase of the isolated rat ileal contraction in a concentration-dependent manner (23–693 μm), and the pattern of MIGB-induced ileal contraction was different in the time course to that produced by ACh. The EC50 value of MIGB, to produce 50% maximum ileal contraction, was estimated to be 45.5 μm. MIGB (230 μm)-induced ileal contractions were enhanced by pretreatment of segments with ACh (0.1 μm). Ileal contractions produced by MIGB (230 μm) or ACh (0.1 μm) at submaximal concentration were partially inhibited by pretreatment of hexamethonium (0.1 mm), a ganglionic blocker, whereas they were almost completely abolished by atropine (10 μm). Oral administration of MIGB to mice stimulated the small intestinal transit of charcoal in a dose-dependent manner (10–100 mg kg−1), and MIGB (100 mg kg−1)-induced stimulation of small intestinal transit was significantly attenuated by co-administration of atropine (50 mg kg−1). Taken together, these results demonstrate that MIGB isolated from radish roots stimulates the small bowel motility through the activation of ACh receptors. These findings suggest that MIGB may become a potential regulatory agent for therapeutic intervention in dysfunction of gastrointestinal motility.

Pharmacological profile of enantiomerically pure chiral muscarinic agonists: desoxymuscarines

The enantiomers desoxymuscarine 6 were tested in vitro on guinea pig tissues, and their muscarinic potency was evaluated at M2 (heart force and rate) and M3 (ileum and bladder) receptor subtypes together with the enantiomers of the parent compound muscarine 1. The eutomers (+)-1 and (+)-6 and distomers (-)-1 and (-)-6 were also assayed in vivo on pithed rat. Affinity, relative efficacy and enantio-selectivity were also determined for the compounds under study at M2 (heart force and rate) and M3 (ileum and bladder), in order to investigate muscarinic receptor heterogeneity. The results of this study have been discussed in comparison with the data previously reported for the structurally related fluoromuscarine (+)-4 and difluoromuscarines (+)-5 and (-)-5.

Partial characterization of endogenous modulators of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in human frontal cortex

A soluble fraction from human frontal cortex with molecular weight less than 10 kD was tested for the presence of endogenous substances capable of modulating the [3H]-QNB binding to crude P1 + P2 fractions from the same region. The soluble fraction was able to decrease [3H]-QNB binding in a dose-response manner with an IC50 of about 30 micrograms/ml. The effect appeared to be noncompetitive in nature, since Bmax but not Kd was significantly affected; however, in some specimens a biphasic profile, with an initial inhibition of 88-90% of [3H]-QNB binding and 50-60% ulterior binding recuperation was also found. The modulator appeared to have a molecular weight less than 10,000 Daltons and was heat and trypsin resistant. These results point out the existence of an endogenous factor, which could be heterogeneous in regard to its molecular nature or to its action sites.