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Differential potentiation by calcium antagonists of neuromuscular blockade induced by pancuronium and succinylcholine in cats in vivo

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Summary

The effects of several calcium antagonists (verapamil, nicardipine and two diltiazem isomers, d-cis and l-cis diltiazem) alone and associated to non-depolarizing (pancuronium) and depolarizing (succinylcholine) neuromuscular blockers, were evaluated on sciatic nerve-tibialis anterior muscle preparations from cats in vivo. The calcium antagonists used (at 0.1 and 0.5mg/kg iv) did not modify the height of muscular twitches elicited indirectly. However, these agents potentiated in a dose-dependent way the neuromuscular blockade induced by iv pancuronium (2–40μg/kg) and succinylcholine (6–200μg/kg). The order of potency in increasing the effects of pancuronium was nicardipine ≫ d-cis diltiazem ⩾ verapamil, whereas the order of potency in enhancing succinylcholine effects was d-cis diltiazem ⩾ verapamil ≫ nicardipine. The effects of diltiazem were stereoselective, thus the potentiation induced by d-cis diltiazem was significantly greater in all cases than that induced by l-cis diltiazem, which suggests that calcium channel blockade plays a role in these interactions. However, other mechanisms such as calcium antagonists-induced nicotinic receptor desensitization may also be involved.

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  1. E. Del Pozo

    Present address: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Granada, Spain

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Granada, Spain

    M. Ocaña, R. Carlos & J. M. Baeyens

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  1. M. Ocaña
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  2. E. Del Pozo
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  3. R. Carlos
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  4. J. M. Baeyens
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Ocaña, M., Del Pozo, E., Carlos, R. et al. Differential potentiation by calcium antagonists of neuromuscular blockade induced by pancuronium and succinylcholine in cats in vivo. J. Neural Transmission 88, 223–234 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01244734

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01244734

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