cholinergic

1. Activated by or capable of liberating acetylcholine, especially in the parasympathetic nervous system.
2. Having physiological effects similar to those of acetylcholine: a cholinergic agent or drug.

[(ACETYL)CHOLIN(E) + -ERGIC.]

Producing or simulating the effects of acetylcholine.

Applied to nerve and muscle fibres which use acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter.

1. parasympathomimetic; activated or transmitted by acetylcholine; said of nerve fibers that liberate acetylcholine at a synapse when a nerve impulse passes, i.e. the parasympathetic fibers.
2. an agent that resembles acetylcholine or simulates its action.

• c. blockade — selective inhibition of cholinergic nerve impulses at autonomic ganglionic synapses, postganglionic parasympathetic effectors, or neuromuscular junctions.
• c. neurotransmission — that form of neurotransmission which depends on the production of acetylcholine at synapses.
• c. receptors — receptor sites on effector organs or at nerve synapses that are stimulated by acetylcholine released by the nerve terminal. There are two types: muscarinic receptors, present primarily on autonomic effector cells, and nicotinic receptors, present primarily on autonomic ganglion cells and on the motor end plates of skeletal muscle.

Acetylcholine

A receptor is cholinergic if it uses acetylcholine as its neurotransmitter.^[1]

Cholinergic means related to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine,^[2] and is typically used in a neurological perspective. The parasympathetic nervous system is entirely cholinergic. Neuromuscular junctions, preganglionic neurons of the sympathetic nervous system, the basal forebrain, and brain stem complexes are also cholinergic. In addition, the receptor for the merocrine sweat glands are also cholinergic since acetylocholine is released from post ganglionic sympathetic neurons.

A substance is cholinergic if it is capable of producing, altering, or releasing acetylcholine ("indirect-acting") or mimicking its behaviour at one or more of the body's acetylcholine receptor types ("direct-acting").

Cholinergic drug

Main article: Parasympathomimetic drug

A cholinergic drug, also known as a cholinergic agent, cholinergic agonist,^[3] or a parasympathomimetic drug,^[4] is any drug that functions to enhance the effects mediated by acetylcholine in the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, or both. These include acetylcholine's precursors and cofactors, acetylcholine receptor agonists and cholinergic enzymes:

• acetylcholine receptor agonists
  • muscarine (muscarinic receptors)
  • pilocarpine (M3 receptors)
  • nicotine (nicotinic receptors)
  • suxamethonium (muscle type receptors)
• Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (abbreviated AChEI)
  • physostigmine
  • neostigmine
  • Rivastigmine
  • Galantamine
  • Donepezil
  • Huperzine A

See also

• Adrenergic
• Dopaminergic
• GABAergic
• Nootropic
• Serotonergic
• Glutamatergic

References

1. ^ "Dorlands Medical Dictionary:cholinergic receptors". http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands_split.jsp?pg=/ppdocs/us/common/dorlands/dorland/seven/000091035.htm. 
2. ^ "Definition: cholinergic from Online Medical Dictionary". http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?cholinergic. 
3. ^ MeSH Cholinergic+Agonists
4. ^ "Dorlands Medical Dictionary:cholinergic". http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands_split.jsp?pg=/ppdocs/us/common/dorlands/dorland/two/000020616.htm. 

v • d • e Neuromodulation Types Enzyme: Inducer • Inhibitor Ion Channel: Opener • Blocker Receptor: Agonist • Antagonist • Positive Allosteric Modulator (PAM) • Negative Allosteric Modulator (NAM) Transporter [Reuptake]: Enhancer (RE) • Inhibitor (RI) • Releaser (RA) Miscellaneous: Precursor • Cofactor Classes Enzyme (refer to Enzyme Inhibitors for more details) Ion Channel Calcium Channel Blocker (CCB) • Potassium Channel Blocker (PCB) • Sodium Channel Blocker (SCB) • Potassium Channel Opener (PCO) Receptor & Transporter Adrenergic Adrenergic Receptor Agonist (α, β (1, 2)) • Adrenergic Receptor Antagonist (α (1, 2), β) • Adrenergic Reuptake Inhibitor (ARI) Cholinergic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonist (Muscarinic, Nicotinic) • Acetylcholine Receptor Antagonist (Muscarinic, Nicotinic (Ganglionic, Muscular)) Dopaminergic Dopamine Receptor Agonist • Dopamine Receptor Antagonist • Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor (DRI) Endocannabinoid Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist • Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonist Histaminergic Histamine Receptor Agonist • Histamine Receptor Antagonist (H1, H2, H3) GABAergic GABA Receptor Agonist • GABA Receptor Antagonist • GABA Reuptake Inhibitor (GRI) Glutamatergic Glutamate Receptor Agonist (AMPA) • Glutamate Receptor Antagonist (NMDA) Opioid Opioid Receptor Agonist • Opioid Receptor Antagonist Serotonergic Serotonin Receptor Agonist (5-HT4) • Serotonin Receptor Antagonist (5-HT3) • Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SRI) • Serotonin Reuptake Enhancer (SRE) Other Adenosine Reuptake Inhibitor (AdoRI) • Angiotensin Receptor Antagonist • Endothelin Receptor Antagonist • NK1 Receptor Antagonist • Vasopressin Receptor Antagonist Miscellaneous Cofactor (see Enzyme Cofactors) • Precursor (see Amino Acids)

v • d • e Parasympathomimetics / cholinergic agonists / acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (N06DA, N07AA) Direct (at receptor) muscarinic: Muscarine  · Oxotremorine  · M1 (Vedaclidine • Xanomeline)  · M3 (Bethanechol, Pilocarpine, Arecoline, Cevimeline, Aceclidine)  · Methacholine nicotinic: Nicotine (low doses) · Lobeline · Varenicline · Epibatidine  · Dimethylphenylpiperazinium M & N: Acetylcholine/Choline alfoscerate · Carbachol Indirect/AIs (in synapse) Reversible very short acting: Edrophonium carbamates/stigmine: Ambenonium · Rivastigmine · Distigmine · tertiary/CNS (Physostigmine) · quaternary/peripheral (Neostigmine, Pyridostigmine) anti-dementia (Galantamine, Donepezil, Tacrine) Irreversible/ organophosphate ophthalmological (Ecothiopate, Isoflurophate, Demecarium) antiparasitic (Malathion, Metrifonate) chemical warfare (see Nerve agent)

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