THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF MUREXINE ON NEUROMUSCULAR TRANSMISSION IN THE FROG

Article date: September 1957

By: J. P. QUILLIAM in Volume 12, Issue 3, pages 388-392

Murexine (urocanoylcholine, [2‐β‐imidazol‐4(5)‐ylacryloyloxyethyl]trimethylammonium chloride hydrochloride) produced a contracture like acetylcholine in the frog rectus and a neuromuscular block in the rat diaphragm which was not relieved by neostigmine but was antagonized by hexamethonium. Using the foot muscle of the frog, electrical recordings showed that murexine produced a neuromuscular block and depolarized the end‐plate region. These effects were similar to those seen with suxamethonium, decamethonium and acetylcholine. While murexine had the same depolarizing potency as decamethonium, it was only one‐tenth as active as suxamethonium and acetylcholine. It was concluded that murexine could be classified as a “depolarizing type” of neuromuscular blocking agent but was less potent than suxamethonium.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1957.tb00153.x

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