Inhibition by p-nitrophenylphosphate of acetylcholine release induced by Na+-deprivation.

The effect of p-nitrophenylphosphate (p-NPP) on the release of acetylcholine evoked by drugs and ionic environments known to inhibit Na+, K+-ATPase was studied in isolated cortical slices of rat brain and longitudinal muscle strip of guinea-pig ileum. p-NPP inhibited the release of acetylcholine induced by sodium deprivation provided that the circumstances were in favour of the function of the K+-activated part of ATPase. However, it failed to antagonize the increase in the acetylcholine release elicited by omission of K+ or by administration of ouabain. Therefore it is concluded that the K+-stimulated phosphatase moiety of the Na+, K+-ATPase might be involved in the release of acetylcholine.