[Significance of the dopamine-blocking and m-choline-blocking components in the antiapomorphine action of neuroleptics].

In experiments on rats and mice the correlation between the ability of neuroleptics to antagonize apomorphine induced stereotypy and to block central dopamine and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors was studied. The analysis showed significant correlation (v = 0.76; P less than 0.

[Solubilization by various detergents, of the muscarinic cholinoreceptor and its complex with quinuclidinyl benzilate].

The possibilities to solubilize the rat brain cortex muscarinic acetylcholine receptor and its complex with [3H]-L-quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) were studied, using 14 detergents. It was shown that the native muscarinic cholinoreceptor was solubilized in addition to digitonin, also by CHAPS, with a 6% yield. Besides, the receptor-QNB complex was solubilized with the detergents Triton X-100, -102, -114, -165 (with 30% and 50% yields) and within a narrow concentration range with sodium dodecyl sulfate (50% yield).

[Kinetics of the inactivation of muscarinic cholinoreceptors by solubilized digitonin].

The kinetics of spontaneous inactivation of the digitonin-solubilized rat brain muscarinic cholinoreceptor was investigated at 4 degrees, 15 degrees, 25 degrees, 35 degrees and 45 degrees C. The inactivation process was followed by the loss of specific L-[3H] quinuclidinyl benzilate binding capacity after incubation of the receptor at an appropriate temperature. Since the inactivation process of the receptor inactivation obeys the first order kinetics, it was possible to determine the values of inactivation rate constants (kappa in).

[Effect of pH on the cholinesterase hydrolysis of different substrates].

The effect of pH on the kinetic constants of cholinesterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of isoamylacetate and acetylthiocholine was investigated. For the first substrate the rate-limiting step is the enzyme acetylation reaction, while the overall hydrolysis rate of the second substrate is limited by the deacetylation reaction. It was concluded that a basic group is involved in the deacetylation reaction and in the non-covalent binding step of both ionic and non-ionic substrates.

[Acetylcholinesterase of cobra venom. Determination of concentration of active sites].

O-Nitrophenyl dimethylcarbamate and organophosphorus inhibitors O-n-propyl-p-nitrophenyl methylphosphonate, O-n-butyl-p-nitrophenyl methylphosphonate, O,O-diethyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate, O-n-butyl-S-(beta-ethylmercaptoethyl) methylthiophosphonate, methysulphate of O,O-diethyl-S-(beta-phenyldimethylammoniumethly) thiophosphate were used in the titration of acetylcholinesterase active site concentratration in Naja naja oxiana venom. No side reactions with the acetylcholinesterase molecule as well as with other components of the venom were observed. In titration the effective concentrations of organophosphorus inhibitors with asymmetric phosphorus were 50% of their analytical concentrations, since cobra venom cholinesterase showed practically absolute stereoselectivity against the compounds.