RELEASE OF ACETYLCHOLINE ELICITED BY EXTRACTS OF BLACK-WIDOW SPIDER GLANDS - STUDIES USING RAT SUPERIOR CERVICAL GANGLIA AND INHIBITORS OF ELECTRICALLY STIMULATED RELEASE

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 201  (2) , 312-319
Abstract
An extract of venom glands of black widow spiders (BWGE, Latrodectus hesperus) induced release of acetylcholine (ACh) from the superior cervical ganglia of rats. Release of ACh followed first-order kinetics, which suggests that the venom either lowered the ganglionic store of ACh or continually reduced rate of release. Since ganglionic ACh did not decrease in the presence of BWGE, the venom possibly continually reduced rate of release. The rate constant for BWGE-induced release of ACh was depressed about 45% by treatment of the ganglion with botulinum toxin or a low Ca2+/high Mg2+ Ringer''s solution. The rate constant was depressed about 30% by treatment of the ganglion with 8.3 .mu.g/ml of cytochalasin-B. One action of BWGE possibly is stimulation of some step in the physiological mechanism involved in the release of neurotransmitters. Treatment of the ganglion with tetrodotoxin had no effect on the rate constant for release induced by BWGE. Action of BWGE on the ganglion was not reversible after 10 min. When treated with BWGE, ganglia whose stores of transmitter had been labeled by electrical stimulation in the presence of [3H]choline released ACh having uniform specific activity. The data suggest the presence of more than 1 activity in the extracts.

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