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A study of the increased sensitivity of denervated and re‐innervated muscle to depolarizing drugs
Author(s) -
Maclagan Jennifer,
Vrbová Gerta
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007813
Subject(s) - decamethonium , depolarization , denervation , repolarization , neuromuscular blocking agents , neuromuscular junction , medicine , chemistry , electrophysiology , anesthesia , neuroscience , biology , receptor
1. The response of re‐innervated muscles to depolarizing blocking drugs was studied. 2. During the early stages of re‐innervation the ‘new’ neuromuscular junctions are more sensitive to decamethonium and suxamethonium. The recovery from the block and the repolarization of the end‐plate are markedly slowed. 3. This increased sensitivity does not appear to be characteristic of all newly formed neuromuscular junctions. It was found that in new‐born kittens the muscles are very insensitive to neuromuscular blocking drugs. 4. It is concluded that the increased sensitivity of re‐innervated muscles to depolarizing blocking drugs and the slow repolarization are due to a persistence of changes which developed during denervation.