INTERACTION OF MIDAZOLAM WITH TWO NON-DEPOLARIZING NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKING DRUGS IN THE RAT IN VIVO SCIATIC NERVE-TIBIALIS ANTERIOR MUSCLE PREPARATION

• Published in: British journal of anaesthesia : BJA 1985-11, Vol.57 (11), p.1089-1094
• Main Authors: DRIESSEN, J.J., VREE, T.B., VAN EGMOND, J., BOOIJ, L.H.D.J., CRUL, J.F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthetics. Neuromuscular blocking agents; Animals; Benzodiazepines - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Interactions; Medical sciences; Midazolam; Muscle Contraction - drug effects; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents - pharmacology; Neuromuscular Junction - drug effects; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0007-0912; 1471-6771
• DOI: 10.1093/bja/57.11.1089

Studies of the possible interactions between the water-soluble benzodiazepine, midazolam, and two non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs, vecuronium and tubocurarine, were performed in the rat in vivo sciatic nerve-tibialis anterior muscle preparation. Midazolam 0.5 and 5 mg kg−1 caused 17% and 34% depression of the twitch height, respectively, once a steady-state blockade of the twitch height had been induced by vecuronium. The potentiation of the tubocurarine steady state blockade by midazolam 5 mg kg−1 was quantitatively equal to that of vecuronium, but was slower in onset. The buffer solvent of midazolam 5 mg kg−1 did not change the steady-state blockade of vecuronium. Midazolam 5 mg kg−1 caused a shift to the left of the cumulative dose-response curves of vecuronium.