（Synonyms: Pilocarpine hydrochloride)

Pilocarpine HCl is a nonselective muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist used to produce an experimental model of epilepsy, as a medication used to increase pressure inside the eye and dry mouth.

Pilocarpine Hydrochloride is the hydrochloride salt of a natural alkaloid with cholinergic agonist activity,extracted from plants of the genus Pilocarpus.

As a cholinergic parasympathomimetic agent, pilocarpine mainly binds to muscarinic receptors, thereby it can induce exocrine gland secretion and stimulate smooth muscle in the bronchi, urinary tract, intestinal tract, and biliary tract.

When this agent is applied topically to the eye, it stimulates the sphincter pupillae to contract, causing miosis; stimulates the ciliary muscle to contract, producing spasm of accomodation; and due to opening of the trabecular meshwork and increasing in the outflow of aqueous humor. it may cause a transitory rise in intraocular pressure followed by a more persistent fall.

The assay in animal, the Pilocarpine-induced saliva secretion of the control rats (CN) and exercised (EX) rats are examined, a greater amount of saliva is induced by Pilocarpine in the EX rats than in the CN rats (P<0.01). On the contrary, the Na+ concentration in the saliva of the EX rats is much lower than that of the CN rats (P<0.05).

References：

1. Thomas, R.L., Langmead, C.J., Wood, M.D., et al. Contrasting effects of allosteric and orthosteric agonists on M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor internalization and down-regulation. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 331(3), 1086-1095 (2009).

2. Smolders, I., Khan, G.M., Manil, H., et al. NMDA receptor-mediated pilocarpine-induced seizures: Characterization in freely moving rats by microdialysis. Br. J. Pharmacol. 121(6), 1171-1179 (1997).

3. Matsuzaki K, et al. Daily voluntary exercise enhances pilocarpine-induced saliva secretion and aquaporin 1 expression in rat submandibular glands. FEBS Open Bio. 2017 Dec 7;8(1):85-93.