Muscle nAChR antagonist
Muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist
- Competitive block → non-depolarizing paralysis
- Surgical neuromuscular blockade
- Reversed by acetylcholinesterase inhibition
- No sedation or analgesia → awareness risk without anesthesia
- Most contain “cur” in the name
Drugs with this mechanism (8)
- Atracurium — Nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker cleared by Hofmann elimination.
- Cisatracurium — Nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker cleared organ-independently.
- Curare — The original nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker (tubocurarine).
- Metocurine — Obsolete nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker.
- Mivacurium — Short-acting nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker.
- Pancuronium — Long-acting nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker.
- Rocuronium — Rapid-onset nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker; reversed by sugammadex.
- Vecuronium — Intermediate-acting nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker.
Self-check
- Do non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockers provide sedation or analgesia?
Neither; awareness is possible without anesthesia. - Which enzyme inhibition can reverse competitive neuromuscular blockade?
Acetylcholinesterase inhibition.
All mechanisms · Open Muscle nAChR antagonist in the interactive console ↗