Figure 2. Maximal activation of native nAChRs and α5 minus nAChRs by cytisine is less than that elicited by ACh.

The amplitudes of macroscopic currents evoked by ACh and cytisine (Cyt) were compared in control and α5 minus neurones. The amplitudes were analysed by non-parametric techniques and are presented as box plots (see Methods in Yu & Role, 1998). At the maximal concentration of ACh (500 μM) and cytisine (300 μM), macroscopic currents elicited by cytisine were significantly smaller than those elicited by ACh in both untreated neurones (P≤ 0.012) and neurones treated with α5 antisense oligonucleotide (P≤ 0.00003).