Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Acetylcholine, Atropine and Related Cholinergics and Anticholinergics

  • Chapter
Pharmacology of the Skin I

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 87 / 1))

  • 294 Accesses

Abstract

There are sound reasons for believing that of all the neurotransmitters, acetylcholine (Fig. 1) was the earliest to appear during evolution (MICHAELSON 1974). It must be attributed to fortuitous coincidence that acetylcholine was also the first neurotransmitter to be isolated and identified in that role (LOEWI 1921; LOEWI and NAVRATIL 1926). Brilliant though the first definite demonstration of neurohumoral transmission by Loewi was, it must be appreciated that firm theoretical background for his research had been laid down earlier by the meticulously accurate comparison of the response to acetylcholine and to stimulation of parasympathetic nerves (DALE 1914).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Abell E, Morgan K (1974) The treatment of idiopathic hyperhidrosis by glycopyrronium bromide and tap water iontophoresis. Br J Dermatol 91:87–91

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ariens EJ (1954) Affinity and intrinsic activity in the theory of competitive inhibition. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther 99:32–9

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Birks R, MacIntosh FC (1961) Acetylcholine metabolism of a sympathetic ganglion. Can J Biochem Physiol 39:787–827

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Briscoe S, Burn JH (1954) The formation of an acetylcholine-like substance by the isolated rabbit heart. J Physiol (Lond) 126:181–190

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brun R, Favre F (1954) Experiences sur la transpiration. 7. Examens par certaines substances. Dermatologia 108:257–270

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burn JH, Kottegoda SR (1953) Action of eserine on the auricles of the rabbit heart. J Physiol (Lond) 121:360–373

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coon JM, Rothman S (1939) Nature of the sweat response to drugs with nicotine-like action. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 42:231–233

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coon JM, Rothman S (1941) The sweat response to drugs with nicotine-like action. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 73:1–11

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cotton DWK, Van den Hurk JJMA, Mier PD (1973) Hydrolysis of acetylcholine by soluble and particulate preparations of skin from normal and atopic subjects. Br J Dermatol 88:579–582

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dale HH (1914) The action of certain esters and ethers of choline and their relationship to muscarine. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 6:147–190

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dale HH, Feldberg W (1934) The chemical transmission of secretory impulses to the sweat glands of the cat. J Physiol (Lond) 82:121–128

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Evans CL (1957) Sweating and sympathetic innervation. Br Med Bull 13:197–201

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feldberg W, Lin RCY (1950) Synthesis of acetylcholine in the wall of the digestive tract. J Physiol (Lond) 111:96–118

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frankland JC, Seville RH (1971) The treatment of hyperhidrosis with topical propantheline — a new technique. Br J Dermatol 85:577–581

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson TE, Shelley WB (1948) Sexual and racial difference in the response of sweat glands to acetylcholine and pilocarpine. J Invest Dermatol 11:137–142

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grice KA, Bettley FR (1966) Inhibition of sweating by poldine methosulphate (Nacton). Its use for measuring insensible perspiration. Br J Dermatol 78:458–464

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harbison RD, Olubadewo JO, Dwivedi C, Sastry BVR (1975) Proposed role of the placental cholinergic system in the regulation of fetal growth and development. In: Morselli PL, Garattini S, Sereni F (eds) Basic and therapeutic aspects of perinatal pharmacology. Raven, New York, pp 107–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Herxheimer A (1956) The nervous pathway mediating cholinergic urticaria. Clin Sci 15:195–205

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hurley HJ, Shelley WB, Koelle GB (1953) The distribution of cholinesterases in human skin with special reference to eccrine and apocrine sweat glands. J Invest Dermatol 21:139–147

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Janowitz HD, Grossman MI (1950) The response of sweat glands to some locally acting agents in human subjects. J Invest Dermatol 13:453–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson RH, Spalding JMK (1974) Disorders of autonomic nervous system. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 179–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn D, Rothman S (1942) Sweat response to acetylcholine. J Invest Dermatol 5:431–444

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuno Y, Kashiwabara K (1937) An effective method for suppression of local sweating. Chin J Physiol 11:41–45

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd DPC (1965) Cholinergy and adrenergy in the neural control of sweat glands. In: Curtis DR, McIntyre AK (eds) Studies in physiology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 169–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Loewi O (1921) Über humorale Ubertragbarkeit der Herznervenwirkung. Pflügers Arch Ges Physiol 189:239–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loewi O, Navratil E (1926) Über humorale Übertragbarkeit der Herznervenwirkung. X. Mitteilung über das Schicksal des Vagusstoff. Pflügers Arch Ges Physiol 214:688

    Google Scholar 

  • Longmore J, Bradshaw CM, Szabadi E (1985) Effects of locally and systemically administered cholinoceptor antagonists on the secretory response of human eccrine sweat glands to carbachol. Br J Clin Pharmacol 20:1–8

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MacMillan FSK, Reller HH, Synder FH (1964) The antiperspirant action of topically applied anticholinergics. J Invest Dermatol 43:363–377

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Magnus I A, Thompson RHS (1954) Cholinesterase activity of human skin. Br J Dermatol 66:163–174

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maple S, Bradshaw CM, Szabadi E (1982) Pharmacological responsiveness of sweat glands in anxious patients and healthy volunteers. Br J Psychiatry 141:154–161

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McMahan D (1972) Chemical messengers in development: a hypothesis. Science 185:1012–1021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Megay KV (1935) Versuche an biologischen Testobjekten über die Natur des im Schweiβ vorhandenen vagometischen Stoffes. Pflügers Arch Ges Physiol 236:159–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michaelson MJ (1974) Some aspects of evolutionary pharmacology. Biochem Pharmacol 23:2211–2224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mier PD, Cotton DWK (1976) The molecular biology of skin, 1st edn. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Ott I, Wood Field GBW (1878) Sweat centres: the effect of muscarin and atropin on them. J Physiol (Lond) 1:193–195

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paton WDM, Zar MA (1968) The origin of acetylcholine released from guinea-pig intestine and longitudinal muscle strips. J Physiol (Lond) 194:13–33

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Randall WC, Kimura KK (1955) The pharmacology of sweating. Pharmacol Rev 7:365–397

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rothman S, Coon JM (1940) Axon reflex response to acetylcholine in the skin. J Invest Dermatol 3:79–97

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan TJ (1973) Inflammation, fibrin and fibrinolysis. In: Jarret A (ed) The physiology and pathophysiology of the skin, vol 2. Academic, London, pp 745–777

    Google Scholar 

  • Sastry BVR, Sadavongvivad C (1978) Cholinergic systems in non-nervous tissues. Pharmacol Rev 30:65–132

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sato K (1977) The physiology, pharmacology and biochemistry of the eccrine sweat glands. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 79:51–131

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scott A (1962) Acetylcholine in normal and diseased skin. Br J Dermatol 74:317–322

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shelley WB, Horvath PN (1951) Comparative study on the effect of anticholinergic compounds on sweating. J Invest Dermatol 16:267–274

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Silver A, Versau A, Montagna W (1963) Studies of sweating and sensory function in cases of peripheral nerve injuries of the hand. J Invest Dermatol 40:243–258

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singer M (1959) The acetylcholine content of the normal forelimb regenerate of the adult newt, Triturus. Dev Biol 1:603–620

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singer M (1974) Neurotropic control of limb regeneration in the newt. Ann NY Acad Sci 228:308–321

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stephenson RP (1956) A modification of receptor theory. Br J Pharmacol Chemother 11:379–393

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stoughton RB, Chiu F, Fritsch W, Nurse D (1964) Topical suppression of eccrine sweat delivery with a new anticholinergic. J Invest Dermatol 42:151–155

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thayson JH, Schwartz IL, Dole VP (1952) Fatigue of sweat glands. Fed Proc 11:161–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Tweedy J, Ringer S (1880) On the mydriatic properties of homatropin or oxytoluyltropein. With an account of its general physiological action. Lancet 1:795–796

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van den Broek MD, Bradshaw CM, Szabadi E (1984) The effects of psychological “stressor” and raised ambient temperature on the pharmacological responsiveness of human eccrine sweat glands: implications for sweat gland hyper-responsiveness in anxiety states. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 26:209–213

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wada M, Arai T, Takagaki T, Nakagawa T (1952) Axon reflex mechanism in sweat responses to nicotine, acetylcholine and sodium chloride. J Appl Physiol 4:745–752

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Warndorff JA (1970) The response of the sweat gland to acetylcholine in atopic subjects. Br J Dermatol 83:306–311

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. M. A. Zar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Institute of Dermatology, St. Thomas’s Hospital, Lambeth Palace Road, SE1 7EH, London, Great Britain

    Malcolm W. Greaves M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P.

  2. Department of Dermatology, The Royal Victoria Infirmary, The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, Newcastle upon Tyne, Great Britain

    Sam Shuster M.D., F.R.C.P.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Zar, M.A. (1989). Acetylcholine, Atropine and Related Cholinergics and Anticholinergics. In: Greaves, M.W., Shuster, S. (eds) Pharmacology of the Skin I. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 87 / 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73797-8_20

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73797-8_20

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-73799-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-73797-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation