Chemicals and Drugs

Cholinergic Agents

Any drug used for its actions on cholinergic systems. Included here are agonists and antagonists, drugs that affect the life cycle of ACETYLCHOLINE, and drugs that affect the survival of cholinergic neurons. The term cholinergic agents is sometimes still used in the narrower sense of MUSCARINIC AGONISTS, although most modern texts discourage that usage.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Any drug used for its actions on cholinergic systems. Included here are agonists and antagonists, drugs that affect the life cycle of ACETYLCHOLINE, and drugs that affect the survival of cholinergic neurons. The term cholinergic agents is sometimes still used in the narrower sense of MUSCARINIC AGONISTS, although most modern texts discourage that usage.

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Narrower headings

Related Concepts

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MeSH Record

See Also

MeSH Record

Synonyms

37 entry terms
  • Acetylcholine Agent
  • Acetylcholine Agents
  • Cholinergic
  • Cholinergic Agent
  • Cholinergic Drug
  • Cholinergic Drugs
  • Cholinergics
  • Agent, Acetylcholine
  • Agent, Cholinergic
  • Agents, Acetylcholine
  • Agents, Cholinergic
  • Drug, Cholinergic
  • Drugs, Cholinergic
  • Cholinergic Effect
  • Cholinergic Effects
  • Cholinomimetic
  • Cholinomimetics
  • Muscarinic
  • Muscarinic Agent
  • Muscarinic Agents
  • Muscarinic Effect
  • Muscarinic Effects
  • Muscarinics
  • Nicotinic Agent
  • Nicotinic Agents
  • Nicotinic Effect
  • Nicotinic Effects
  • Agent, Muscarinic
  • Agent, Nicotinic
  • Agents, Muscarinic
  • Agents, Nicotinic
  • Effect, Cholinergic
  • Effect, Muscarinic
  • Effect, Nicotinic
  • Effects, Cholinergic
  • Effects, Muscarinic
  • Effects, Nicotinic

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

22 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings administration & dosage, adverse effects, analysis, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemical synthesis, chemistry, classification, economics, history, immunology, isolation & purification, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, poisoning, radiation effects, standards, supply & distribution, therapeutic use, toxicity, urine.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

general or unspecified; prefer specifics; note entry term CHOLINERGIC EFFECT: use only for the cholinergic effect of a chemical substance

MeSH Record

History Note

95; was see PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS 1975-94; NICOTINIC AGENTS was see GANGLIONIC STIMULANTS 1978-94; CHOLINOMIMETICS was see PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS 1974-94; MUSCARINIC AGENTS was see PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS 1969-94

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

  1. D27.505.519w.625.120
  2. D27.505.696.577.120

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

QV 124

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Cholinergic Agents. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D018678. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D018678
  2. Cholinergic Agents. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q50430231