Effect of the choline acetyltransferase inhibitor (2-benzoylethyl)- trimethylammonium iodide (BETA) on human placental prostaglandin release and phospholipase A2 activity

Abstract

We investigated the effect of an inhibitor of acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis, (2-benzoylethyl)trimethylammonium iodide (BETA), on prostaglandin (PG)E2 and PGF2α release from incubated placental explants in the presence or absence of ACh or arachidonic acid (AA). BETA alone (100 μm) significantly reduced both PGE2 and PGF2α release. However, this inhibitory effect of BETA was not reversed in the presence of ACh (10 μm to 1 mm). The addition of AA (10 to 100 μm) increased both PGE2 and PGF2α release, and simultaneously overcame the inhibition of PGE2 but not PGF2α release by BETA. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that BETA may be inhibiting the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) step rathe..