Muscarinic-receptor antagonist scopolamine rescues hippocampal neurons from death induced by glutamate

Cultured hippocampal neurons were used to test the hypothesis that modulation of muscarine receptors can modify glutamate-induced neurodegeneration. Treatment of hippocampal cultures with scopolamine (1 nM to 1 mM) under glutamate incubation had beneficial effect on neuronal viability. Thus, blockade of muscarinic-receptor sites increased the threshold for glutamate neurotoxicity. These data show that interactions between the NMDA, muscarinic receptors and their corresponding neurotransmitter inputs to hippocampal neurons may play a crucial role in neurodegeneration. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.