Effect of physostigmine and exercise on choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase activities in fast and slow muscles of rat.

The interaction of physostigmine (Phy) and exercise on choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) have been studied in the fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and slow soleus muscles of rat. ChAT decreased significantly by trained exercise in EDL muscle and Phy prolonged this effect even up to 24 h. Soleus muscles showed a small increase of ChAT due to exercise but Phy + exercise did not change significantly. Both EDL and soleus showed a marked decrease in AChE activity due to subacute administration of Phy + trained exercise, exhibiting an additive effect. No recovery was observed in ChAT and AChE activities of EDL even after 24 h in Phy + trained exercise group. Our results suggest that Phy and exercise has significant effect on the synthetic (ChAT) and degradative (AChE) enzymes of acetylcholine in active EDL muscle. Exercise has prolonged the inhibitory effect of Phy on ChAT and AChE activities both in active EDL and passive soleus muscles. This study showed that Phy + exercise modified the functional activity of cholinergic system in EDL and soleus muscles.