title: Synergistic effect of acidosis and succinylcholine-induced hyperkalemia in spinal cord transected rats.
abstract: The effects of spinal cord transection and acidosis on succinylcholine (SCC)-induced hyperkalemia were studied in Sprague-Dawley rats. The effectiveness of pretreatment with subparalyzing doses ("self-taming") of SCC or with the cholinesterase inhibitor hexafluorenium bromide in preventing hyperkalemia was also studied. The increase in plasma potassium after administration of SCC (1 mg/kg) was found to be significantly increased 10 days after spinal cord transection. This potassium increase could not be prevented by pretreatment with either hexafluorenium (0.3 mg/kg) or subparalyzing doses (0.15 mg/kg) of SCC. Respiratory acidosis caused an increase in plasma K+ in both normal and in spinal cord transected rats. Acidosis had a synergistic effect on succinylcholine-induced hyperkalemia. These findings support the clinical practice of not using succinylcholine in patients at risk of having a pathological sensitivity to SCC. Furthermore, SCC may be especially dangerous when administered to patients who are acidotic.
mesh_terms: D000142:Acidosis, Respiratory / Q000150:complications*; D000818:Animals; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000150:complications*; D006584:Hexamethonium Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006947:Hyperkalemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*; D013390:Succinylcholine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D005449:Fluorenes; D006584:Hexamethonium Compounds; C005034:hexafluorenium; D013390:Succinylcholine