Antagonism of corticosteroids against the lethal effects of hemicholinium-3 in rats and mice.
The corticosteroids prednisolone or dexamethasone administered simultaneously with hemicholinium-3 (HC-3) by i.p. injection, increased the LD50 of HC-3 in rats and mice about twofold. Daily treatment with prednisolone for 7 days also increased the LD50 of HC-3 in rats. Choline completely protected rats and mice against HC-3. A sublethal dose of physostigmine did not change the LD50 of HC-3 in rats but increased the LD50 in mice to a small extent. The possible implications of these experiments for the explanation of the beneficial effects of corticosteroids in myasthenia gravis are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D002794:Choline / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006426:Hemicholinium 3 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D006426:Hemicholinium 3; D003907:Dexamethasone; D011239:Prednisolone; D010830:Physostigmine; D002794:Choline