The effects of adrenaline, reserpine, and atropine on acetylcholine content of the brain and peripheral ganglia in stress.

The effects of adrenaline, reserpine and atropine on ACh content in the cerebral cortex and brain stem and in the gastric tissues were investigated in the rats at rest and during stress induced by forced swimming. Adrenaline administered intraperitoneally twice at an interval of two hours in doses of 0.1 mg/kg and then subcutaneously in a dose 0.5 mg/kg increased acetylcholine content in the cerebral cortex of resting and in the gastric tissues of resting and swimming rats. Reserpine in doses of 3 mg/kg given 48, 24 and 7 hours before the experiment caused a significant rise in ACh content in the cerebral cortex of resting rats and in the brain stem during stress. Atropine given in a dose of 6 mg/kg at 8 h intervals during 2 days caused a significant fall in ACh level in the cerebral cortex and brain stem of resting rats, in the cortex of swimming animals, as well as a considerable rise in the gastric tissues of swimming rats.