The term "cholinergic" refers to any part of the nervous system that uses acetylcholine (ACh) as its neurotransmitter.
Acetylcholine is one of the most important neurotransmitters in the body, and it has a significant role in both the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in the following areas:
Central Nervous System (CNS):
In the brain, acetylcholine is involved in a variety of functions, including memory, arousal, and attention.
Disruptions in cholinergic systems in the brain have been implicated in diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS):
Acetylcholine acts as the neurotransmitter in the ganglia of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system, and at the target organs of the parasympathetic nervous system.
Neuromuscular Junction:
Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter released by motor neurons to stimulate muscle contraction.
1-Acetylcholine exerts its effects by binding to and activating two types of receptors: muscarinic receptors, which are G protein-coupled receptors, and nicotinic receptors, which are ligand-gated ion channels.
2-These receptors are named after the drugs muscarine and nicotine, which can mimic the effects of acetylcholine at these receptors.
3-Drugs that mimic the action of acetylcholine by stimulating its receptors are called cholinergic agonists or parasympathomimetic, while drugs that inhibit the action of acetylcholine by blocking its receptors are called cholinergic antagonists or anticholinergics.