title: Effects of the active constituents of Catha edulis on the neuromuscular junction.
abstract: (-)-Cathinone and d-norpseudoephedrine (DNE) in the dose range 0.2-1.2 mg/ml produced a reduction in contractions of skeletal muscle, evoked by direct and indirect electrical stimulation and antagonised the facilitatory action of physostigmine on the neuromuscular junction; but failed to antagonise a partial blockade induced by d-tubocurarine (dTb) as occurs with norepinephrine or epinephrine. The local anaesthetic actions of (-)-cathinone and DNE were found to be almost equivalent to that of lignocaine. These results indicate that (-)-cathinone and DNE may have a direct blocking action on the neuromuscular junction, which is independent of cholinergic and adrenergic transmission.
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*; D014403:Tubocurarine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; C005331:norpseudoephedrine; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine; C023665:cathinone; D008012:Lidocaine; D010830:Physostigmine; D014403:Tubocurarine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine