Tubocurarine chloride

Tubocurarine chloride is a non-depolarizing neuromuscular-blocking drug or muscle relaxant used in anesthesia to cause muscle paralysis, necessary for surgery. It is a type of curare, a poison used by South American indigenous people on the tips of their arrows for hunting.

History

The active ingredient of curare, tubocurarine, was isolated in 1935 by Harold King and is recognized as the first non-depolarizing neuromuscular-blocking drug. It was introduced into anesthesiology in the 1940s by Harold Griffith and Enid Johnson, who used it to prevent muscle twitching during surgery.

Pharmacology

Tubocurarine chloride works by blocking the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, a type of ionotropic receptor, at the neuromuscular junction. This prevents the motor neuron from transmitting signals to the muscle, resulting in paralysis.

Clinical use

In clinical practice, tubocurarine chloride is used to relax skeletal muscles during surgery. It is administered intravenously and its effects are reversed by neostigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor.

Side effects

The most common side effect of tubocurarine chloride is hypotension (low blood pressure). Other side effects can include bronchospasm, histamine release, and anaphylaxis.

See also

• Neuromuscular-blocking drug
• Curare
• Anesthesia