title: Differential potentiation by calcium antagonists of neuromuscular blockade induced by pancuronium and succinylcholine in cats in vivo.
abstract: The effects of several calcium antagonists (verapamil, nicardipine and two diltiazem isomers, d-cis and l-cis diltiazem) alone and associated to non-depolarizing (pancuronium) and depolarizing (succinylcholine) neuromuscular blockers, were evaluated on sciatic nerve-tibialis anterior muscle preparations from cats in vivo. The calcium antagonists used (at 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg iv) did not modify the height of muscular twitches elicited indirectly. However, these agents potentiated in a dose-dependent way the neuromuscular blockade induced by iv pancuronium (2-40 micrograms/kg) and succinylcholine (6-200 micrograms/kg). The order of potency in increasing the effects of pancuronium was nicardipine much greater than d-cis diltiazem greater than or equal to verapamil, whereas the order of potency in enhancing succinylcholine effects was d-cis diltiazem greater than or equal to verapamil much greater than nicardipine. The effects of diltiazem were stereoselective, thus the potentiation induced by d-cis diltiazem was significantly greater in all cases than that induced by l-cis diltiazem, which suggests that calcium channel blockade plays a role in these interactions. However, other mechanisms such as calcium antagonists-induced nicotinic receptor desensitization may also be involved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ocaña
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Del Pozo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carlos
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baeyens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002415:Cats; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009529:Nicardipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010197:Pancuronium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013390:Succinylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents; D014700:Verapamil; D009529:Nicardipine; D004110:Diltiazem; D013390:Succinylcholine; D010197:Pancuronium