Neuromuscular Blocking Agents of Short Duration

Abstract

FOR a number of years we have been interested in the neuromuscular blocking properties of bis-onium compounds derived from substituted tropane nuclei, in which linking of the quaternary nitrogens was effected by a polymethylene or aralkyl chain. We observed that such compounds produced a flaccid paralysis on injection into chicks but tended to be long acting. This observation led to the preparation of a series of similar compounds (Fig. 1) in which the linking chain contained two ester-groupings as in suxamethonium. The latter is known to produce short-acting block which is, however, of depolarizing character.