The effect of succinylcholine on energy metabolism studied by 31P-NMR spectroscopy in rat denervated skeletal muscle.

Abstract

The goals of this study were: (1) to demonstrate the differences of metabolic changes induced by succinylcholine (SCh) administration between normal and denervated muscle by 31P-NMR spectroscopy: (2) to determine whether three kinds of drugs (vecuronium, midazolam and magnesium sulfate) could prevent these metabolic changes. Following unilateral sciatic nerve section, 20 male Wistar rats were studied at three-week intervals. After SCh 1 mg.kg-1 was administered intravenously, the changes of the inorganic phosphate/phosphocreatine (Pi/PCr) ratio, the beta ATP/(PCr+Pi) ratio, and intracellular pH were measured by 31P-NMR both in normal and denervated hind limb muscles of 5 rats. The other 15 rats were allocated to the pretreatment groups by the following drugs: vecuronium 0.02 mg.kg-1, midazolam 0.1 mg.kg-1 and magnesium sulfate 60 mg.kg-1. After pretreatment 3 min before SCh administration, we measured the same parameters by 31P-NMR. SCh administration did not change the Pi/PCr ratio in normal muscle, but significantly increased that in denervated muscle (P < 0.05). This increase of the Pi/PCr ratio was also observed in all pretreated groups but was minimal as compared with that in non-pretreatment denervated muscle. These data suggested that SCh administration decreased the level of "energy reserve" in denervated muscle, and that this metabolic change was not totally inhibited by vecuronium, midazolam, or magnesium sulfate.