Interaction between acetylcholine and other agonists at cholinoreceptive membrane of mollusc neurons.

The effect of pretreatment with agonists of various chemical structure on acetylcholine action at isolated Limnaea stagnalis neurones was studied. Threshold concentrations of monoquaternary agonists or dicholinic ester of adipinic acid increase and inhibit the responses to low and high acetylcholine concentrations respectively. In contrast, suberyldicholine and compound IEM-1054 (containing two charged ammonium groups in a molecule with an internitrogen distance of 2.0-2.2 nm) decrease the action of any acetylcholine concentration. The results are discussed in terms of the cooperativity model of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) and the hypothesis about regular arrangement of AChRs in the membrane, the so called 'C-16 structure'.