AN INVESTIGATION, IN CATS, INTO THE ACTIVITY OF DIAZEPAM AT THE NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION

Diazepam, in doses of 0.2–5 mg/kg i.v., was without effect on the maximal twitch response of the flexor hallucis longus or soleus muscles of the cat. When injected 5 minutes prior to or at the time of greatest depth of block produced by gallamine or tubocurarine, diazepam was without effect on the d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of anaesthesia : BJA 1973-04, Vol.45 (4), p.313-318
Main Authors: WEBB, SANDRA N., BRADSHAW, ELIZABETH G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action Potentials - drug effects
Animals
Blood Pressure - drug effects
Cats
Diazepam - pharmacology
Electric Stimulation
Female
Gallamine Triethiodide - administration & dosage
Gallamine Triethiodide - antagonists & inhibitors
Injections, Intravenous
Male
Neuromuscular Junction - drug effects
Propylene Glycols
Solvents
Tubocurarine - administration & dosage
Tubocurarine - antagonists & inhibitors
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Summary:Diazepam, in doses of 0.2–5 mg/kg i.v., was without effect on the maximal twitch response of the flexor hallucis longus or soleus muscles of the cat. When injected 5 minutes prior to or at the time of greatest depth of block produced by gallamine or tubocurarine, diazepam was without effect on the depth or the time course of the paralysis. The commercial solvent for diazepam (Valium, Roche), in volumes that contained doses of 1–5 mg/kg of the drug, itself slightly enhanced the rate of recovery from block produced by tubocurarine or gallamine. Twitch augmentation following high-frequency tetanic stimulation of the soleus nerve is known to be prejunctional in origin, and provides a sensitive test for detecting drug activity on intramuscular nerve endings. It was unaltered by diazepam, indicating absence of prejunctional blocking activity. The unimpressive peripheral activity of diazepam in cats emphasizes the importance of spinal or supraspinal sites in its ability to produce muscle relaxation in man and animals.
ISSN:0007-0912
1471-6771
DOI:10.1093/bja/45.4.313