Presence of Certain Onium Compounds in Brain Tissue following intravenous Administration to Rats

Abstract

SOME of the effects produced in the intact animal by a number of quaternary ammonium compounds, such as D-tubocurarine chloride in high doses¹, tetraethylammonium chloride and hexamethonium^2,3 following intravenous administration have been attributed to the action of these agents on the central nervous system. Conclusions concerning the possibility of these agents acting centrally as well as peripherally, however, can be only speculative since there is little convincing actual evidence that any of the positively charged organic compounds can reach the tissues of the central nervous system following peripheral administration. The presence of pro-stigmine in the effluent from perfused cerebral ventricles of cats following intravenous administration has been demonstrated by indirect bioassays⁴. During the course of an investigation of the physiological disposition of hexamethonium and some of its derivatives⁵, the sulphonium analogue, hexamethylene bisdimethylsulphonium dibromide, was detected in brain tissue of rats following parenteral administration. This finding prompted further study of the distribution between blood and brain of this and other onium compounds.