Wessler I, Kirkpatrick C J, Racké K
Department of Pharmacology, University of Mainz, Germany.
Pharmacol Ther. 1998 Jan;77(1):59-79. doi: 10.1016/s0163-7258(97)00085-5.
Acetylcholine acts as a neurotransmitter in the central and peripheral nervous systems in humans. However, recent experiments demonstrate a widespread expression of the cholinergic system in non-neuronal cells in humans. The synthesizing enzyme choline acetyltransferase, the signalling molecule acetylcholine, and the respective receptors (nicotinic or muscarinic) are expressed in epithelial cells (human airways, alimentary tract, epidermis). Acetylcholine is also found in mesothelial, endothelial, glial, and circulating blood cells (platelets, mononuclear cells), as well as in alveolar macrophages. The existence of non-neuronal acetylcholine explains the widespread expression of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors in cells not innervated by cholinergic neurons. Non-neuronal acetylcholine appears to be involved in the regulation of important cell functions, such as mitosis, trophic functions, automaticity, locomotion, ciliary activity, cell-cell contact, cytoskeleton, as well as barrier and immune functions. The most important tasks for the future will be to clarify the multiple biological roles of non-neuronal acetylcholine in detail and to identify pathological conditions in which this system is up- or down-regulated. This could provide the basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies to target the non-neuronal cholinergic system.
乙酰胆碱在人类中枢和外周神经系统中作为神经递质发挥作用。然而，最近的实验表明，胆碱能系统在人类非神经元细胞中广泛表达。合成酶胆碱乙酰转移酶、信号分子乙酰胆碱以及各自的受体（烟碱型或毒蕈碱型）在上皮细胞（人类气道、消化道、表皮）中表达。乙酰胆碱也存在于间皮细胞、内皮细胞、神经胶质细胞和循环血细胞（血小板、单核细胞）以及肺泡巨噬细胞中。非神经元乙酰胆碱的存在解释了毒蕈碱型和烟碱型受体在未受胆碱能神经元支配的细胞中的广泛表达。非神经元乙酰胆碱似乎参与了重要细胞功能的调节，如有丝分裂、营养功能、自律性、运动、纤毛活动、细胞间接触、细胞骨架以及屏障和免疫功能。未来最重要的任务将是详细阐明非神经元乙酰胆碱的多种生物学作用，并确定该系统上调或下调的病理状况。这可为开发针对非神经元胆碱能系统的新治疗策略提供基础。
