Wessler I, Kilbinger H, Bittinger F, Kirkpatrick C J
Department of Pharmacology, University of Mainz, Germany.
Jpn J Pharmacol. 2001 Jan;85(1):2-10. doi: 10.1254/jjp.85.2.
Acetylcholine, one of the most exemplary neurotransmitters, has been detected in bacteria, algae, protozoa, tubellariae and primitive plants, suggesting an extremely early appearance in the evolutionary process and a wide expression in non-neuronal cells. In plants (Urtica dioica), acetylcholine is involved in the regulation of water resorption and photosynthesis. In humans, acetylcholine and/or the synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase, have been demonstrated in epithelial (airways, alimentary tract, urogenital tract, epidermis), mesothelial (pleura, pericardium), endothelial, muscle and immune cells (granulocytes, lymphocytes, macrophages, mast cells). The widespread expression of non-neuronal acetylcholine is accompanied by the ubiquitous expression of cholinesterase and acetylcholine sensitive receptors (nicotinic, muscarinic). Both receptor populations interact with more or less all cellular signalling pathways. Thus, non-neuronal acetylcholine can be involved in the regulation of basic cell functions like gene expression, proliferation, differentiation, cytoskeletal organization, cell-cell contact (tight and gap junctions, desmosomes), locomotion, migration, ciliary activity, electrical activity, secretion and absorption. Non-neuronal acetylcholine also plays a role in the control of unspecific and specific immune functions. Future experiments should be designed to analyze the cellular effects of acetylcholine in greater detail and to illuminate the involvement of the non-neuronal cholinergic system in the pathogenesis of diseases such as acute and chronic inflammation, local and systemic infection, dementia, atherosclerosis, and finally cancer.
乙酰胆碱是最典型的神经递质之一，已在细菌、藻类、原生动物、涡虫和原始植物中被检测到，这表明它在进化过程中出现得极早且在非神经元细胞中广泛表达。在植物（荨麻）中，乙酰胆碱参与水分吸收和光合作用的调节。在人类中，乙酰胆碱和/或合成酶胆碱乙酰转移酶已在上皮细胞（气道、消化道、泌尿生殖道、表皮）、间皮细胞（胸膜、心包）、内皮细胞、肌肉细胞和免疫细胞（粒细胞、淋巴细胞、巨噬细胞、肥大细胞）中被证实存在。非神经元乙酰胆碱的广泛表达伴随着胆碱酯酶和乙酰胆碱敏感受体（烟碱型、毒蕈碱型）的普遍表达。这两种受体群体或多或少与所有细胞信号通路相互作用。因此，非神经元乙酰胆碱可参与基因表达、增殖、分化、细胞骨架组织、细胞间接触（紧密连接和缝隙连接、桥粒）、运动、迁移、纤毛活动、电活动、分泌和吸收等基本细胞功能的调节。非神经元乙酰胆碱在非特异性和特异性免疫功能的控制中也发挥作用。未来的实验应设计用于更详细地分析乙酰胆碱的细胞效应，并阐明非神经元胆碱能系统在急性和慢性炎症、局部和全身感染、痴呆、动脉粥样硬化以及最终癌症等疾病发病机制中的作用。
