title: Doxapram and the neuromuscular junction.
abstract: We have studied the action of doxapram on neuromuscular transmission in the rat phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation. Doxapram augmented neuromuscular transmission in a dose-related manner when a threshold concentration of 5 x 10(-5) mol litre-1 had been exceeded. The activity of the acetylcholinesterase in rat diaphragm has been examined also in the presence of doxapram. No inhibitory effect was seen in the concentration range which augmented neuromuscular transmission, thus excluding cholinesterase inhibition as the underlying mechanism. In contrast, in the presence of partial neuromuscular block, a dose-related depression of neuromuscular transmission with doxapram was revealed. This was greatest when the neuromuscular blocking agents possessed significant presynaptic activity (beta-bungarotoxin and tubocurarine). In this situation any facilitatory action of doxapram was severely reduced or abolished. In contrast, the facilitatory effects of doxapram were apparent in the presence of partial block produced by agents with less or no presynaptic activity (pancuronium and alpha-bungarotoxin). This study suggests that doxapram has a presynaptic facilitatory action at the neuromuscular junction. In the presence of partial neuromuscular block, an inhibitory action is revealed which may be post-junctional. The concentrations of doxapram at which these effects appear are approximately five times greater than those reached in plasma after a standard clinical dose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Physiological Sciences, University of Manchester.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Randall
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Pleuvry
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004315:Doxapram / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects*; D010791:Phrenic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents; D004315:Doxapram; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase