Cholinergic actions of false neurotransmitters: acetylpyrrolidinecholine.

Acetylpyrrolidinecholine (AcPyCh), a false transmitter at cholinergic synapses, produces an increase in arterial blood pressure upon intraventricular injection that is comparable in extent and time course to that produced by equivalent doses of acetylcholine. AcPyCh binds to central muscarinic receptors with affinities and properties associated with potent muscarinic agonists. AcPyCh also binds to nicotinic receptors of Torpedo electric organs thereby inducing conformational changes in the receptor-ion channel complex, including certain changes associated with postsynaptic activation and desensitization processes. In all of these cholinergic actions AcPyCh is as potent as acetylcholine.