XXXX vascular endothelial cells express functional nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

@entity1 @entity1239 @entity26331 @entity1617 @entity537 @entity6325 @entity6786 @entity2263
ACh receptors sensitive to @entity1239 ( @entity6786 ) are present in @entity1 skin keratinocytes and in bronchial epithelial cells. They are stimulated by ACh secreted by the same cells that express them, and they modulate cell motility and shape. A variety of non-neuronal tissues, including endothelial cells, synthesize @entity1617 , which raises the possibility that they are sensitive to @entity1239 . We demonstrate here that endothelial cells that line blood vessels express functional nAChRs. Their structure and ion-gating properties are similar to those of the nAChRs expressed by ganglionic neurons and by skin keratinocytes and bronchial epithelial cells. In situ hybridization experiments using primary cultures of endothelial cells from @entity1 aorta demonstrated the presence in these cells of the subunits believed to contribute to ganglionic ACh receptors (AChRs) of the alpha3 subtype: alpha3, alpha5, @entity2263 and @entity537 . Binding of radiolabeled @entity26331 -a high-affinity specific ligand of certain neuronal AChRs, including the alpha3 subtypes-revealed the presence of approximately 900 specific binding sites per cell. We assessed the presence of functional AChRs by patch-clamp experiments. Cultured @entity1 endothelial cells express ion channels that are opened by (+)-anatoxin-a and are blocked by @entity6325 . These are specific agonist and antagonist, respectively, of neuronal AChRs of the alpha3 subtype. The ion-gating properties of the endothelial AChRs were similar to those of neuronal ganglionic AChRs. The presence of AChRs sensitive to @entity1239 in endothelial cells may be related to the toxic effects of @entity1239 on the vascular system.
