The influence of respiratory-induced acid-base changes on the action of non-depolarizing muscle relaxants in rats.

The influence of respiratory-induced acid-base changes on the action of non-depolarizing muscle relaxants was investigated using the rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparation. Changes in pH were induced by changes in the CO2 concentration aerating Krebs' solution. In the absence of muscle relaxants, an increase in CO2 from 5% to 7.5% decreased (P less than 0.01) indirectly elicited twitch tension by 5.4 +/- 0.7% (mean +/- SEM), while a decrease in CO2 from 5% to 2.5% increased (P less than 0.01) twitch tension by 2.3 +/- 0.7%. With a change in CO2 from 2.5% to 7.5%, partial neuromuscular blockade produced by d-Tc or vecuronium was augmented (P less than 0.01), while that produced by metocurine, pancuronium, or alcuronium was reduced (P less than 0.01). With the change in CO2 from 7.5% to 2.5%, the neuromuscular blockade produced by d-Tc or vecuronium was reduced (P less than 0.01), while that produced by metocurine, pancuronium, or alcuronium was augmented (P less than 0.01). Dose-response study showed that 2.5% CO2 shifted the dose-response curves for d-Tc and vecuronium to the right (P less than 0.01) from those with 5% CO2, whereas 7.5% CO2 shifted them to the left (P less than 0.05). In contrast, neither 2.5% CO2 or 7.5% CO2 significantly shifted the dose-response curves for metocurine or pancuronium from those with 5% CO2. Their dose-response curves with 2.5% CO2 were to the left, instead of to the right, of those with 7.5% CO2 (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)