Decrease of acetylcholine receptor synthesis in muscle cultures by electrical stimulation

MUSCLE activity has been shown to be a central factor in controlling the level of extrajunctional acetylcholine receptors (AChR): inactivity of muscle fibres causes an increase in the number of AChR and electrically stimulated activity causes a decrease. We investigated the mechanism by which this activity regulates the level of AChR in muscle fibres that have differentiated in cell culture. Our results suggest that electrical stimulation decreases the AChR level by decreasing the synthesis of the receptors rather than by degrading or inactivating them.