Nicotinic and muscarinic reactive sites in mammalian glomus cells.

Nicotinic and muscarinic sites on glomus cell membranes of cats, rabbits and mice were determined in carotid body slices. Cells were impaled under Nomarski optics. Resting potentials were 11.1-73.1 mV and input resistances were 11-250 M omega. Nicotine, pilocarpine or bethanechol depolarized glomus cells and their input resistance decreased. Curare or alpha-bungarotoxin reduced nicotine effects. Atropine had similar effects on the responses to pilocarpine or bethanechol.