Peripheral nervous system cholinergic neurotransmission

The discovery that ACh was a transmitter in the peripheral nervous system formed the basis for the theory of neurotransmission. ACh is also a neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain however, only a few cholinergic tracts have been clearly delineated. ACh is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian CNS. There is good evidence that ACh (among other neurotransmitters) is decreased in certain cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer s disease. 

For almost one century, acetylcholine has been recognized as a neurotransmitter both in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. In the peripheral nervous system, acetylcholine has been identified as the neurotransmitter of autonomic ganglia and the neuromuscular junction. Acetylcholine is involved in different peripheral functions such as heart rate, blood flow, gastrointestinal tract motility, and sweat production and smooth muscle activity. In the CNS, cholinergic neurotransmission plays a crucial role in a variety of CNS functions including sensory perception, motor function, cognitive processing, memory, arousal, attention, sleep, nociception, motivation, reward, mood, and psychosis. 

Abstract The CBi cannabinoid receptor is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous system. Within the neuron, the CBi receptor is often localised in axon terminals, and its activation leads to inhibition of transmitter release. The consequence is inhibition of neurotransmission via a presynaptic mechanism. Inhibition of glutamatergic, GABAergic, glycinergic, cholinergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic neurotransmission has been observed in many regions... 

Other channel and receptor systems in neuronal tissues have been proposed to play a role in the generation of compound-specific clinical symptoms in mammals. The complex nature of the effects of pyrethroids on the central nervous system (CNS) has led various workers to suggest that they also act via modulation of nicotinic cholinergic transmission, reduce peripheral presynaptic adrenoceptor sensitivity [23] which leads to an enhancement of noradrenaline release [24], and affect the serotonin neurotransmission [25]. However, because neurotransmitter-specific pharmacological agents offer only poor or partial protection against poisoning, it is unlikely that any one of these effects represents an alternative primary mechanism of action of the pyrethroids. 

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