Presynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the myenteric plexus of guinea pig intestine

Presynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) were studied in myenteric plexus preparations from guinea pig ileum using intracellular electrophysiological methods. Microapplication of nicotine (1 mM) caused a biphasic depolarization in all AH neurons (n = 30) and in 36 of 49 S neurons. Cytisine (1 mM) caused fast depolarizations in S neurons and no response in AH neurons. Mecamylamine (10 microM) blocked all responses caused by nicotine and cytisine. TTX (0.3 microM) blocked slow excitatory synaptic potentials in S and AH neurons but had no effect on fast depolarizations caused by nicotine. Nicotine-induced slow depolarizations were reduced by TTX in two of twelve AH neurons (79% inhibition) and four of nine S neurons (90+/-12% inhibition). Slow nicotine-induced depolarizations in the remaining neurons were TTX resistant. TTX-resistant slow depolarizations were inhibited after neurokinin receptor 3 desensitization caused by senktide (0.1 microM); senktide desensitization inhibited the slow nicotine-induced depolarization by 81+/-5% and 63+/-15% in AH and S neurons, respectively. A low-calcium and high-magnesium solution blocked nicotine-induced slow depolarizations in AH neurons. In conclusion, presynaptic nAChRs mediate the release of substance P and/or neurokinin A to cause slow depolarizations of myenteric neurons.