Effect of Papaverine on Acetylcholinesterase in Rat Brain

Papaverine administration produced significant increases in acetylcholinesterase activity in cerebral cortex and striatum of rat brain. Two related compounds, tetrahydropapaverine and tetrahydropapaveroline, also gave similar effects. However, their actions seem to be indirect because papaverine has no in vitro effect on the enzymatic activity.