Biomaterial Database

Cholinergic mechanisms in startle and prepulse inhibition: effects of the false cholinergic precursor N-aminodeanol. 1993

M F Wu, and D J Jenden, and M D Fairchild, and J M Siegel

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Sepulveda, California 91343.

We examined the effects of cholinergic deficiency on prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle. Rats treated with a choline-free diet that contained the false cholinergic precursor N-aminodeanol showed great deficit in PPI. This deficit does not appear to be secondary to an increase of stereotyped behaviors. Startle threshold was also greatly reduced, as these rats startled to the 70-dB prepulse and the baseline startle amplitude was increased by 60% over the control rats. Arecoline (4 mg/kg) partially reversed the deficit in PPI. This improvement persisted beyond the period of drug treatment. On the other hand, scopolamine (1 mg/kg) reduced PPI in the control rats. These results suggest that cholinergic systems play a major role in both the elicitation and prepulse inhibition of startle.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009043	Motor Activity	Body movements of a human or an animal as a behavioral phenomenon.	Activities, Motor,Activity, Motor,Motor Activities
D009433	Neural Inhibition	The function of opposing or restraining the excitation of neurons or their target excitable cells.	Inhibition, Neural
D011950	Receptors, Cholinergic	Cell surface proteins that bind acetylcholine with high affinity and trigger intracellular changes influencing the behavior of cells. Cholinergic receptors are divided into two major classes, muscarinic and nicotinic, based originally on their affinity for nicotine and muscarine. Each group is further subdivided based on pharmacology, location, mode of action, and/or molecular biology.	ACh Receptor,Acetylcholine Receptor,Acetylcholine Receptors,Cholinergic Receptor,Cholinergic Receptors,Cholinoceptive Sites,Cholinoceptor,Cholinoceptors,Receptors, Acetylcholine,ACh Receptors,Receptors, ACh,Receptor, ACh,Receptor, Acetylcholine,Receptor, Cholinergic,Sites, Cholinoceptive
D001921	Brain	The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM.	Encephalon
D002794	Choline	A basic constituent of lecithin that is found in many plants and animal organs. It is important as a precursor of acetylcholine, as a methyl donor in various metabolic processes, and in lipid metabolism.	Bursine,Fagine,Vidine,2-Hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethylethanaminium,Choline Bitartrate,Choline Chloride,Choline Citrate,Choline Hydroxide,Choline O-Sulfate,Bitartrate, Choline,Chloride, Choline,Choline O Sulfate,Citrate, Choline,Hydroxide, Choline,O-Sulfate, Choline
D002799	Cholinergic Fibers	Nerve fibers liberating acetylcholine at the synapse after an impulse.	Cholinergic Fiber,Fiber, Cholinergic,Fibers, Cholinergic
D006120	Grooming	An animal's cleaning and caring for the body surface. This includes preening, the cleaning and oiling of feathers with the bill or of hair with the tongue.	Preening,Groomings,Preenings
D000161	Acoustic Stimulation	Use of sound to elicit a response in the nervous system.	Auditory Stimulation,Stimulation, Acoustic,Stimulation, Auditory
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia