title: Old and new non-depolarizing muscle relaxants: a reassessment on subhuman primates.
abstract: Five chemically different, non-depolarizing muscle relaxants: d-tubocurarine, gallamine, pancuronium, AH 8165 and BW 405 C65 have been studied on the anesthetized Rhesus macaque, Bonnett macaque and Mangabey. Electrical stimulation of the ulnar nerve with different frequencies on both arms and recording of the muscle function were made. Single i.v. injections and infusions were administered. The ED50 values, duration of action and the maintenance (equilibrium) doses were calculated. The relative potencies showed marked variance with those obtained in man. The elimination rates expressed by the ratio: ED50 (twitch)/maintenance dose (from infusion data) indicate that these relaxants show different rates of elimination in different types of monkeys while their duration of action following a single dose varies to a lesser extent. The rhesus macaque seems to be relatively the closest to man with respect to duration of action of these agents.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002520:Cercopithecidae; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008255:Macaca radiata; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents