Postnatal changes in the activities of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase in rat heart atria
Slavíková, J.; Tucek, S.
Physiologia Bohemoslovaca 35(1): 11-16
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0369-9463 PMID: 2939475 Document Number: 282349
Postnatal development of the activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in rat heart atria has been investigated with the use of 1.5-bis (allyldimethylammoniumphenyl)pentane-3-dibromide (BW 284 C51) as a selective inhibitor of AChE. Total cholinesterase activity (.mu.mol acetylthiocholine hydrolysed .cntdot. g-1 per hour) increased from 218 on the 1st day after birth to 426 on the 30th day and diminished to 340 in adult rats. The activity of AChE (.mu.mol acetylthiocholine hydrolysed .cntdot. g-1 per hour) underwent more dramatic changes, increasing more than 4-fold during the first month of life, from 13 on the 1st to 58 on the 30th day of life and then decreasing to 42 in adult rats. The proportion of AChE on total cholinesterase activity increased from 6% on the 1st day to 12-15% in animals aged 24 days and more. Since AChE is known to be specifically involved in the termination of the action of acetylcholine in the sinoatrial node, the observed postnatal changes in its activity are likely to play a role in the postnatal development of cardiac parasympathetic control.