RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The Nicotinic Allosteric Potentiating Ligand Galantamine Facilitates Synaptic Transmission in the Mammalian Central Nervous System JF Molecular Pharmacology JO Mol Pharmacol FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 1222 OP 1234 DO 10.1124/mol.61.5.1222 VO 61 IS 5 A1 Máriton D. Santos A1 Manickavasagom Alkondon A1 Edna F. R. Pereira A1 Yasco Aracava A1 Howard M. Eisenberg A1 Alfred Maelicke A1 Edson X. Albuquerque YR 2002 UL http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/61/5/1222.abstract AB In this study, the patch-clamp technique was used to determine the effects of galantamine, a cholinesterase inhibitor and a nicotinic allosteric potentiating ligand (APL) used for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, on synaptic transmission in brain slices. In rat hippocampal and human cerebral cortical slices, 1 μM galantamine, acting as a nicotinic APL, increased γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release triggered by 10 μM acetylcholine (ACh). Likewise, 1 μM galantamine, acting as an APL on presynaptically located nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) that are tonically active, potentiated glutamatergic or GABA-ergic transmission between Schaffer collaterals and CA1 neurons in rat hippocampal slices. The cholinesterase inhibitors rivastigmine, donepezil, and metrifonate, which are devoid of nicotinic APL action, did not affect synaptic transmission. Exogenous application of ACh indicated that high and low levels of nAChR activation in the Schaffer collaterals inhibit and facilitate, respectively, glutamate release onto CA1 neurons. The finding then that the nAChR antagonists methyllycaconitine and dihydro-β-erythroidine facilitated glutamatergic transmission between Schaffer collaterals and CA1 neurons indicated that in a single hippocampal slice, the inhibitory action of strongly, tonically activated nAChRs in some glutamatergic fibers prevails over the facilitatory action of weakly, tonically activated nAChRs in other glutamatergic fibers synapsing onto a given neuron. Galantamine is known to sensitize nAChRs to activation by low, but not high agonist concentrations. Therefore, at 1 μM, galantamine is likely to increase facilitation of synaptic transmission by weakly, tonically activated nAChRs just enough to override inhibition by strongly, tonically activated nAChRs. In conclusion, the nicotinic APL action can be an important determinant of the therapeutic effectiveness of galantamine.