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British Journal of Anaesthesia, Vol 78, Issue 3 332-333, Copyright © 1997 by The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

Antagonism of suxamethonium-induced jaw muscle contracture in rats

Y. Shi, R. J. Storella, M. M. Keykhah and H. Rosenberg
Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Masseter muscle rigidity (MMR) induced during general anaesthesia by suxamethonium is a clinical problem that may interfere with tracheal intubation. We have investigated the relation between twitch tension and contracture response to suxamethonium in rats. Rats were anaesthetized with 1% halothane (1.35 MAC). Jaw muscle temperature was maintained at either 37 or 41 degrees C while rectal temperature was kept at 37 degrees C by radiant heat. Twitch tension was produced by nerve stimulation at 0.2 Hz. Rats were pretreated with either a low dose of vecuronium (0.03 mg kg-1) or dantrolene (0.8 mg kg-1). Thereafter suxamethonium 750 micrograms kg-1 was administrated i.v. Low- dose vecuronium pretreatment significantly (90%) decreased suxamethonium-induced jaw muscle contracture (JMC) with minimal (3%) twitch block during local hyperthermia. Low-dose dantrolene pretreatment also reduced JMC (81% at 37 degrees C and 82% at 41 degrees C) while decreasing twitch by 30% at 37 degrees C and 31% at 41 degrees C. Both vecuronium and dantrolene at doses that minimally depressed the twitch response antagonized suxamethonium-induced JMC. We speculate that pretreatment with low-dose vecuronium decreases suxamethonium-induced MMR clinically.
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