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Decamethonium
- indication:For use as a skeletal muscle relaxant
- pharmacologypharmacology:
- mechanism: Binds to the nicotinic acetycholine receptors (by virtue of its similarity to acetylcholine) in the motor endplate and blocks access to the receptors. In the process of binding, the receptor is actually activated - causing a process known as depolarization. Since it is not degraded in the neuromuscular junction, the depolarized membrance remains depolarized and unresponsive to any other impulse, causing muscle paralysis.
- toxicity: LD<sub>50</sub>=190 mg/kg (orally in mice). Prolonged apnoea, neuromuscular paralysis and cardiac arrest may occur.
- absorprion: Rapidly absorbed.
- halflife:
- roouteelimination:
- volumedistribution:
- clearance: