Chemical neurotransmission (acetylcholine)
Neurotransmisión química (acetilcolina)
- Date
- 1921-1936 · confidence high
- Place
- University of Graz, Austria
- Credited to
- Otto Loewi and Henry Dale
- People
- 👤 Henry Hallett Dale1875–1968👤 Otto Loewi1873–1961
- Field
- Life & health
What was discovered
Loewi showed with two frog hearts that the vagus nerve releases a substance ('Vagusstoff', acetylcholine) that transmits the signal. Neurons communicate chemically, not only electrically.
The idea came to Loewi in a dream. Nobel Prize 1936.
What it led to
- neuropharmacology (psychiatric drugs, anaesthetics, insecticides)
- dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline and biological psychiatry
- Parkinson's disease and L-DOPA
Built on
- Adrenaline (epinephrine) isolated1901
- Sherrington's synapse
Made possible
- Chlorpromazine, first antipsychotic1952
- antidepressants
- antipsychotics
- clinical curare