Increase in the expression of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in isolated, neonatal rat cardiac myocytes treated with potassium cyanide.

On treatment of rat cardiac myocytes with potassium cyanide, ATP content significantly and rapidly decreased in all experimental groups as compared to untreated cells. Contrary to that, the level of muscarinic cholinergic receptors increased significantly, depending on the cyanide concentration. Twenty four hours after removal of cyanide, myocytes exhibited normal levels of both the receptor expression and ATP content.