Acetylcholine Stats & Data
OIPILFWXSMYKGL-UHFFFAOYSA-NPharmacology
DrugBankDescription
A neurotransmitter. Acetylcholine in vertebrates is the major transmitter at neuromuscular junctions, autonomic ganglia, parasympathetic effector junctions, a subset of sympathetic effector junctions, and at many sites in the central nervous system. It is generally not used as an administered drug because it is broken down very rapidly by cholinesterases, but it is useful in some ophthalmological applications.
Indication
Used to obtain miosis of the iris in seconds after delivery of the lens in cataract surgery, in penetrating keratoplasty, iridectomy and other anterior segment surgery where rapid miosis may be required.
Measured Affinities
Guide to PHARMACOLOGYMeasured binding and functional data for acetylcholine, curated by the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to PHARMACOLOGY. Each row cites the paper it came from. Lower concentrations mean tighter binding — a value in the sub-nanomolar range indicates a very potent interaction.
| Target | Action | Measure | Value | Concentration | Species | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 receptor Chrm2 | Full agonist | pKi | 6.4 | 398.11 nM | Rat | PMID 9454790 |
| M5 receptor CHRM5 | Full agonist | pKi | 6.1 | 794.33 nM | Human | PMID 12235229 |
| M3 receptor Chrm3 | Full agonist | pKi | 5.6 | 2,512 nM | Rat | PMID 12235229 |
| M1 receptor Chrm1 | Full agonist | pKi | 5 | 10,000 nM | Rat | PMID 12235229 |
| M1 receptor CHRM1 | Full agonist | pKi | — | — | Human | — |
| M2 receptor CHRM2 | Full agonist | pKi | — | — | Human | — |
| M3 receptor CHRM3 | Full agonist | pKi | — | — | Human | — |
| M4 receptor CHRM4 | Full agonist | pKi | — | — | Human | — |
Reading this. pKi, pEC50 and pIC50 are negative log molar values, so a higher number means a tighter interaction; the concentration column converts them for you. Values from non-human species are laboratory measurements and do not translate directly to human effect. Receptor affinity is not a dose — it describes what a molecule binds, not how much of it is safe to take.
Receptor data from the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to PHARMACOLOGY (v2026.2), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Matched to this substance by InChIKey.