acetylcholinesterase /ac·e·tyl·cho·lin·es·ter·ase/ (AChE) (-ko″lĭ-nes´ter-ās) an enzyme present in the central nervous system, particularly in nervous tissue, muscle, and red cells, that catalyzes the hydrolysis of acetylcholine to choline and acetic acid.
Acetylcholinesterase
acetylcholinesterase (AChE)
acetylcholinesterase [as″ĕ-til-ko″lin-es´ter-ās]
acetylcholinesterase
a·ce·tyl·cho·lin·es·ter·ase ( -s t l-k l-n s t-r s, -rz)n. See cholinesterase. |
Acetylcholinesterase
An enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine.
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acetylcholinesterase (AChE)
[-kō′lines′tərās]
an enzyme present at the endings of voluntary nerves and parasympathetic involuntary nerves and autonomic nerve ganglia. It inactivates and prevents the accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine released during nerve impulse transmission by hydrolyzing the substance to choline and acetate. The action reduces or prevents excessive firing of neurons at neuromuscular junctions.
acetylcholinesterase [as″ĕ-til-ko″lin-es´ter-ās]
an enzyme present in nervous tissue, muscle, and red blood cells that catalyzes the hydrolysis of acetylcholine to choline and acetic acid. This enzyme is present throughout the body, but is particularly important at the myoneural junction, where the nerve fibers terminate. Acetylcholine is released when a nerve impulse reaches a myoneural junction. It diffuses across the synaptic cleft and binds to cholinergic receptors on the muscle fibers, causing them to contract. cholinesterase splits acetylcholine into its components, thus stopping stimulation of the muscle fibers. The end products of the metabolism of acetylcholine are taken up by nerve fibers and resynthesized into acetylcholine. The drugs neostigmine, physostigmine, and pyridostigmine inhibit acetylcholinesterase and are used to treat myasthenia gravis, a disease in which the cholinergic receptors are attacked by autoantibodies. The drug extends the effect of acetylcholine on the muscle fiber. Called also true cholinesterase
acetylcholinesterase
an enzyme present in nervous tissue, muscle and red cells that catalyzes the hydrolysis of acetylcholine to choline and acetic acid; called also true cholinesterase. Abbreviated AChE.
acetylcholinesterase antagonists
organophosphorus compounds and carbamates that act by inactivating acetylcholinesterase; hence poisoning by these compounds has parasympatheticomimetic manifestations.
acetylcholinesterase
An enzyme that degrades and inactivates acetylcholine. This compound is mainly found in neurons and at neuromuscular junctions. Drugs that inhibit this enzyme (e.g. diisopropyl fluorophosphate, physostigmine, edrophonium, echothiophate, DFP) can be used in the diagnosis and possible treatment of myasthenia gravis as well as certain forms of esotropia and glaucoma. Syn. specific cholinesterase. See anticholinesterase drugs.
acetylcholinesterase
Neurophysiology A hydrolase that metabolizes acetylcholine to acetyl and choline in the synaptic cleft, restoring it to a ground state, in preparation for the next nerve impule; acetylcholinesterase is found in the CNS,
RBCs, motor endplates
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