acetylcholine + vasoactive intestinal polypeptide

Acetylcholine + vasoactive intestinal polypeptide is a combination of two endogenous neurotransmitters and vasodilators. Acetylcholine (ACh) is a classical neurotransmitter involved in cholinergic signaling, while vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) is a neuropeptide with potent vasodilatory and smooth muscle relaxant properties. When administered together, these agents have been shown to produce synergistic effects on vascular tone and smooth muscle relaxation in various tissues, including the skin, salivary glands, corpus cavernosum (erectile tissue), and cerebral vessels. The combination has been studied experimentally for its ability to induce strong vasodilation and modulate sensory responses such as pain or pruritus. Mechanistically, ACh acts primarily via muscarinic receptors to induce endothelium-dependent vasodilation through nitric oxide release; VIP acts via VPAC1R/VPAC2R receptors to activate adenylyl cyclase and increase cAMP levels in target cells[1][2][5][6][7]. The combination may be used experimentally to probe neurovascular function or as a research tool in studies of autonomic regulation.

Other names

acetylcholine + VIPACh + VIP