Muscarinic receptor subtypes in subpopulations of human blood mononuclear cells as analyzed by RT-PCR technique.

In this study we have analysed the expression of mRNA encoding the m1-m5 mAChR subtypes in human blood mononuclear cells and subpopulations of lymphocytes using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. Total RNA was extracted from human blood mononuclear cells. T cells, monocytes. EB virus transformed B cells and from two leukemic cell lines and analysed by RT-PCR. Our results indicate that mRNAs for the m3, m4 and m5 muscarinic subtypes are expressed in mononuclear cells and purified T cells while m1 and m2 mRNAs were not detected in these cells. No m1-m5 subtype mRNA was detected in B cells and monocytes, indicating absence of muscarinic receptors in these cells. The expression of muscarinic subtypes in the leukemic T cell line. Peer, and the promyelocytic leukemic cell line HL-60 was different from peripheral mononuclear cells. Both m3 and m5 subtypes were expressed in Peer cells but not the m4 subtype, whereas the m4 and m5 subtypes detected in HL-60 cells.