Decamethonium is a short acting depolarizing muscle relaxant or neuromuscular blocking agent, and is used in anesthesia to induce paralysis. It is similar to acetylcholine and acts as a partial agonist of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.
Indication
For use as a skeletal muscle relaxant
Pharmacology
Decamethonium acts as a depolarizing muscle relaxant or neuromuscular blocking agent. It acts as an agonist of nicotinic acetycholine receptors in the motor endplate and causes depolarization. This class of drugs has its effect at the neuromuscular junction by preventing the effects of acetylcholine. Normally, when a nerve stimulus acts to contract a muscle, it releases acetylcholine. The binding of this acetylcholine to receptors causes the muscle to contract. Muscle relaxants play an important role in anesthesia even though they don't provide any pain relief or produce unconsciousness.
Toxicity
LD50=190 mg/kg (orally in mice). Prolonged apnoea, neuromuscular paralysis and cardiac arrest may occur.
A quaternary ammonium ion that is a depolarising muscle relaxant whose structure comprises a decane-1,10-diamine core in which each amino group carries three methyl substituents.
