Exposure to carbachol induces several changes in muscarinic cholinergic parameters in N1E-115 mouse neuroblastoma cells.

Mouse N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells were used to study carbachol induced changes in muscarinic cholinergic parameters. Cells were treated with carbachol (1 mM) for up to 96 hours. The number of muscarinic receptors, measured in 3H-3-quinuclidinyl benzilate binding experiments, decreased approximately 50% after 4 hours exposure to carbachol. This was followed by an increase in binding sites, and after 24 hours the number of binding sites was the same as in control cells. The changes observed in the choline esterase activity followed the same pattern. The increase in number of binding sites was not dependent on protein synthesis, while the increase in choline esterase activity was. The muscarinic receptor-stimulated uptake of 45Ca2+ showed an initial decrease, which was followed by a significantly increased basal uptake of 45Ca2+. It is suggested that all these changes are adaptations of long time exposure to carbachol.