Potentiation of the actions of acetylcholine, epibatidine, and nicotine by methyllycaconitine at fetal muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Methyllycaconitine (MLA) is a norditerpenoid alkaloid found in high abundance in toxic Delphinium (larkspur) species. It is a potent and selective antagonist of α(7)-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, but has not been well investigated for activity aside from receptor antagonism. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of MLA alone and in combination with acetylcholine, epibatidine, nicotine, and neostigmine for actions other than receptor antagonism in TE-671 cells expressing (α(1))(2)β(1)γδ nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Ligand activity was assessed through measurements of membrane potential changes in TE-671 cells using a fluorescent membrane potential-sensitive dye and normalized to the maximum response to epibatidine (10μM). MLA was ineffective in changing cell membrane potential in the absence of other receptor agonists. However at nanomolar concentrations, it acted as a co-agonist to potentiate TE-671 cell responses to acetylcholine, epibatidine, nicotine, and neostigmine. These results suggest that the poisoning of cattle by norditerpenoid alkaloids found in larkspur may be more complex than previously determined.