PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - S T O'Rourke AU - P M Vanhoutte TI - Subtypes of muscarinic receptors on adrenergic nerves and vascular smooth muscle of the canine saphenous vein. DP - 1987 Apr 01 TA - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics PG - 64--67 VI - 241 IP - 1 4099 - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/241/1/64.short 4100 - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/241/1/64.full SO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther1987 Apr 01; 241 AB - Experiments were designed to characterize pre- and postjunctional muscarinic receptors in the canine saphenous vein. In rings contracted by 2-Hz electrical stimulation, acetylcholine produced concentration-dependent relaxations that result from prejunctional inhibition of norepinephrine release from adrenergic nerve endings (prejunctional effect). In quiescent preparations, acetylcholine caused concentration-dependent contractions (postjunctional effect). Both responses to acetylcholine were inhibited in a competitive manner by atropine, pirenzepine and gallamine. The affinity of atropine for pre- and postjunctional muscarinic receptors was similar (pKB = 8.7 and 9.2, respectively). However, gallamine displayed higher affinity for the prejunctional than for the postjunctional receptor (pKB = 6.1 and 4.7, respectively), whereas the converse was true for pirenzepine (pKB = 6.5 and 8.1). The data support the presence in the canine saphenous vein of two muscarinic receptor subtypes, M1 postjunctionally and M2 prejunctionally, which are distinguishable by selective antagonists.