Cholinergic effects of histamine-H2 receptor antagonists partly through inhibition of acetylcholinesterase.

The effects of histamine H2-receptor antagonists on acetylcholinesterase and pseudocholinesterase activity were studied. All H2-antagonists tested inhibited both enzyme activities dose-dependently. The potency of inhibitory activity of H2-antagonists on acetylcholinesterase estimated from median inhibitory dose were in the following order of decreasing activity: ranitidine greater than TZU-0460 greater than cimetidine greater than YM-11170, whereas that on pseudocholinesterase were TZU-0460 greater than ranitidine greater than cimetidine greater than YM-11170. As the effects derived from the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by H2-antagonists may affect intestinal motility, we studied ileal muscle contractions. Ranitidine had the most potent stimulating effect on contraction, the pattern of which was similar to physostigmine and was blocked by atropine and morphine. YM-11170 had a weak action on muscle contraction and cholinesterase activities.