ABSTRACT
Parasympathomimetic amines may be defined as agonists that mimic the effects of stimulating the parasympathetic nerve innervating an organ or tissue. This was the original term used by Dale (1914) to describe the effects of Ach. Since the tissue responses to parasympathetic nerve activity are mediated via the release of Ach onto muscarinic receptors, the actions of parasympathomimetic amines are essentially their muscarinic properties. Ach and its analogues do, however, also stimulate nicotinic receptors at the somatic nerve-skeletal muscle junction, at autonomic 328ganglia and the adrenal medulla and in the brain. These effects are usually overwhelmed and masked by the muscarinic actions of parasympathomimetic amines.
