AUTHOR=Zhao Ting , Li Dong-Jie , Liu Chong , Su Ding-Feng , Shen Fu-Ming TITLE=Beneficial Effects of Anisodamine in Shock Involved Cholinergic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology VOLUME=volume 2 - 2011 YEAR=2011 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2011.00023 DOI=10.3389/fphar.2011.00023 ISSN=1663-9812 ABSTRACT=Anisodamine, an antagonist of muscarinic receptor, has been used therapeutically to improve blood flow in circulatory disorders such as septic shock in China since 1965. The main mechanism of anisodamine for anti-shock proposed in Pharmacology for Chinese medical students is to improve blood flow in the microcirculation. Here, we suggest a new mechanism for its anti-shock effect. That is, anisodamine, by blocking muscarinic receptor, results in rerouting of acetylcholine to alpha7nAChR bringing about increased acetylcholine-mediated activation of alpha7nAChR and the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.