Arachidonic Acid as a Possible Negative Feedback Inhibitor of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors on Neurons

Neuronal acetylcholine receptors, being highly permeable to calcium, are likely to regulate calcium-dependent events in neurons. Arachidonic acid is a membrane-permeant second messenger that can be released from membrane phospholipids by phospholipases in a calcium-dependent manner. We show here that activation of neuronal acetylcholine receptors triggers release of 3H-arachidonic acid in a calcium-dependent manner from neurons preloaded with the fatty acid. Moreover, low concentrations of arachidonic acid reversibly inhibit the receptors and act most efficiently on receptors likely to have the highest permeability to calcium, namely receptors containing α7 subunits. Low concentrations of arachidonic acid also reversibly inhibit α7- containing receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes following injection of α7 cRNA. The oocyte results indicate following injection of α7 cRNA. The oocyte results indicate that the inhibition is a feature of the receptors rather than a consequence of neuron-specific machinery. The inhibition is not mediated by specific metabolites of arachidonic acid because the effects can be mimicked by other fatty acids; their effectiveness correlates with their content of double bonds. In contrast to arachidonic effects on calcium currents, inhibition of neuronal nicotinic receptors by the fatty acid cannot be prevented by blocking production of free radicals or by inhibiting protein kinase C. An alternative mechanism is that arachidonic acid binds directly to the receptors or perturbs the local environment in such a manner as to constrain receptor function

Activity-Dependent Changes in Cholinergic Innervation of the Mouse Olfactory Bulb

The interplay between olfactory activity and cholinergic modulation remains to be fully understood. This report examines the pattern of cholinergic innervation throughout the murine main olfactory bulb across different developmental stages and in naris-occluded animals. To visualize the pattern of cholinergic innervation, we used a transgenic mouse model, which expresses a fusion of the microtubule-associated protein, tau, with green fluorescence protein (GFP) under the control of the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) promoter. This tau-GFP fusion product allows for a remarkably vivid and clear visualization of cholinergic innervation in the main olfactory bulb (MOB). Interestingly, we find an uneven distribution of GFP label in the adult glomerular layer (GL), where anterior, medial, and lateral glomerular regions of the bulb receive relatively heavier cholinergic innervation than other regions. In contrast to previous reports, we find a marked change in the pattern of cholinergic innervation to the GL following unilateral naris occlusion between the ipsilateral and contralateral bulbs in adult animals

Brain Cholinergic Mechanisms

Much of our understanding of brain physiology has focused on what one might call, first order processes. These essentially include the primary synaptic mechanisms underlying excitation (mainly glutamate) and inhibition (mainly GABA). Our attention has focused on how the balance of excitation and inhibition regulates the timing, patterns, and extent of information flow across various circuits. A lot less is understood regarding second order processes that sculpt and modify these primary interactions. One such modulatory transmitter in the brain is acetylcholine (ACh). The importance of ACh in modulating various behaviors related to learning, memory, and attention has been recognized over the last four decades as has its involvement in various neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. However, our understanding of the mechanistic bases for these actions is at its infancy, at best and much remains to be understood. The array of receptor subtypes for nicotinic and muscarinic receptors, their different locations, and complex signal transduction mechanisms remain a puzzle. Transmitter (ACh) release sites and their relationship to receptor loci are poorly understood. Overall, we lack a unifying framework for conceptualizing how disparate actions of the transmitter on receptors lead to circuit modulation and, eventually, influences on cognition. By its very nature, reports on cholinergic signaling are quite scattered, presented in journals across sub-disciplines and in the context of the systems they modulate. Hence, there is need for consolidation of these studies under a single cover that would allow one to compare and contrast the effects of this transmitter across systems and contexts. This special issue represents one such compilation. The issue addresses cholinergic modulation of defined circuits that lead to specific behaviors and consists of a judicious mixture of review articles and primary papers. The articles focus on three aspects of the system: 1) Cellular targets of cholinergic signaling. 2) Receptor mechanisms. 3) Endogenous transmitter distribution and action. While no common mechanism emerges that can explain cholinergic actions on brain functions, on can postulate that the transmitter system is dynamic, modulating the balance of excitation and inhibition in various circuits. This modulation sets up timed network oscillations and it is tempting to speculate that these oscillations form a template for better encoding of afferent inputs. One can broadly envision the role of the cholinergic system as facilitating processes that allow for more efficient acquisition of learning and engraving of memories. Thus, understanding the mechanisms underlying tonic and stimulus-dependent release of ACh and how it alters firing templates of neuronal networks would be the first step towards elucidating its role in learning and memory. This special topics edition provides clues to some of the actions of ACh. It is hoped that the articles allow the reader to extract common themes and potential mechanisms of cholinergic regulation that will lead to elucidation of general principles governing the actions of this important neuromodulator

Nicotinic Receptors: Role in Addiction and Other Disorders of the Brain

Nicotine, the addictive component of cigarette smoke has profound effects on the brain. Activation of its receptors by nicotine has complex consequences for network activity throughout the brain, potentially contributing to the addictive property of the drug. Nicotinic receptors have been implicated in psychiatric illnesses like schizophrenia and are also neuroprotective, potentially beneficial for neurodegenerative diseases. These effects of nicotine serve to emphasize the multifarious roles the drug, acting through multiple nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes. The findings also remind us of the complexity of signaling mechanisms and stress the risks of unintended consequences of drugs designed to combat nicotine addiction