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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 1971

Thomas Nogrady; Neuropharmacology of rotifer feeding, oviposition, and anesthesia. Hydrobiologia 147:373, 1987

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Effect of acetylcholine and anticholinergic drugs of feeding, oviposition, and anesthesia in rotifers was investigated. Neurotransmitter as well as antagonist drugs inhibited feeding in Brachionus calyciflorus in a dose-dependent manner. Most antagonist drugs caused an oscillating tachyphylaxis (drug habitation): the drug effect wore off and returned several times within an hour. Acetylcholine inhibited oviposition in Philodina acuticornis, and this effect was antagonized by all groups of anticholinergic drugs. The strongest antagonism was caused by neuromuscular blockers, and thus the cause of oviposition inhibition may be a cloacal sphincter spasm. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory insecticides also antagonize the acetylcholine effect. Acetylcholine potentiates the anesthetic activity of ionizing local anesthetics (procaine, lidocaine) as well as that of atropine and the beta-adrenegic blocker propranolol. Muscarinic antagonists (atropine, benactyzine) and proparnol caused foot paralysis in B. calyciflorus, which is also potentiated by acetycholine. Further details of these results are given by Nogrady and Keshmirian.