Effect of (2-benzoylethyl)trimethylammonium and vesamicol on acetylcholine and prostaglandin release from human placental explants

Abstract

Human placental explants were incubated in the presence of physostigmine (3-08 /im), and release of acetylcholine (ACh) and prostaglandin (PG) were measured in the fourth hour by bioassay and radioimmunoassay, respectively. The choline acetyltransferase inhibitor (2-benzoylethyl)trimethylammonium (100 jwm, n = 6) significantly reduced ACh release by 36 ± 6%, PGE2 release by 23 ± 8% and PGF2a release by 29 ±10%. The inhibitor of vesicular acetylcholine storage, vesamicol (100 /im, n = 7), significantly reduced ACh release by 22 ± 4%, PGE2 release by 46 ± 13% and PGF2a release by 32 ± 9%. In the absence of physostigmine, ACh release was reduced by 89 ± 2%, whereas PG release did not change com..