Acetylcholine receptors in dissociated nucleus basalis of Meynert neurons of the rat

Abstract Electrical and pharmacological properties of acetylcholine (ACh)-induced currents in neurons dissociated from the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nBM) of immature (2-week-old) rats were investigated with the whole-cell mode of the patch-clamp technique. At a holding potential ( V H ) of −50 mV, ACh (10 −4 M) evoked a transient inward current mimicked by nicotine ( I nACh ), followed by a sustained outward current mimicked by carbamylcholine ( I mACh ). The K D values were 1.2 × 10 −4 M for I nACh ) and 8.7 × 10 −7 M for I mACh . The reversal potenial of I mACh was close to E K . The I mACh was determined to be elicited via the M 2 muscarinic receptor, based on the differences in sensitivity to muscarinic antagonists such as pirenzepine and AF-DX-116.