Interaction of midazolam with two non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs in the rat in vivo sciatic nerve-tibialis anterior muscle preparation

• Published in: British journal of anaesthesia : BJA Vol. 57; no. 11; p. 1089
• Main Authors: Driessen, J J, Vree, T B, van Egmond, J, Booij, L H, Crul, J F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-11-1985
• Subjects: Animals; Benzodiazepines - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Interactions; Midazolam; Muscle Contraction - drug effects; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents - pharmacology; Neuromuscular Junction - drug effects; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0007-0912
• DOI: 10.1093/bja/57.11.1089

Studies of the possible interactions between the water-soluble benzodiazepine, midazolam, and two non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs, vecuronium and tubocurarine, were performed in the rat in vivo sciatic nerve-tibialis anterior muscle preparation. Midazolam 0.5 and 5 mg kg-1 caused 17% and 34% depression of the twitch height, respectively, once a steady-state blockade of the twitch height had been induced by vecuronium. The potentiation of the tubocurarine steady state blockade by midazolam 5 mg kg-1 was quantitatively equal to that of vecuronium, but was slower in onset. The buffer solvent of midazolam 5 mg kg-1 did not change the steady-state blockade of vecuronium. Midazolam 5 mg kg-1 caused a shift to the left of the cumulative dose-response curves of vecuronium.