title: Antagonism of anthracene-9-carboxylic acid as screening test for muscle relaxants.
abstract: Veratrinic response produced by anthracene-9-carboxylic acid in mice has been used as a model for studying effect of variety of drugs which induce muscle relaxation. None of the drugs listed as general depressants, central muscle relaxants, neuromuscular blocking agents and anti-convulsants were effective even at doses causing 100% loss of righting reflex. Local anaesthetics/direct acting muscle relaxants were effective. This simple model employed in conjunction with Straub's tail test can differentiate various categories of muscle relaxants and their mechanism of action.
mesh_terms: D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000873:Anthracenes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D051379:Mice; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000873:Anthracenes; D002264:Carboxylic Acids