Alcuronium chloride

Alcuronium chloride
Clinical data
Trade namesAlloferin
Other namesRo 4-3816, diallylnortoxiferine
AHFS/Drugs.comInternational Drug Names
ATC code
Pharmacokinetic data
Metabolismnot metabolized
Elimination half-life2–4 hours
Excretion70–90% unchanged in urine 1.3 mL/kg/min
Identifiers
  • 4,4'-Didemethyl-4,4'-di-propenyltoxiferin-1-dichloride
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
ChemSpider
UNII
ChEBI
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.035.648 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC44H50N4O2+2
Molar mass666.910 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • [Cl-].[Cl-].OC\C=C6\C[N@+]4(CC=C)CC[C@@]58c%11ccccc%11N7\C=C9\[C@H]1C[C@H]2[C@@]%10(CC[N@@+]2(CC=C)C\C1=C\CO)c3ccccc3N(/C=C(/[C@H]6C[C@H]45)[C@H]78)[C@@H]9%10
  • InChI=1S/C44H50N4O2.2ClH/c1-3-17-47-19-15-43-35-9-5-7-11-37(35)45-26-34-32-24-40-44(16-20-48(40,18-4-2)28-30(32)14-22-50)36-10-6-8-12-38(36)46(42(34)44)25-33(41(43)45)31(23-39(43)47)29(27-47)13-21-49;;/h3-14,25-26,31-32,39-42,49-50H,1-2,15-24,27-28H2;2*1H/q+2;;/p-2/b29-13-,30-14-,33-25-,34-26-;;/t31-,32-,39-,40-,41-,42-,43+,44+,47-,48-;;/m0../s1 checkY
  • Key:CPYGBGOXCJJJGC-GKLGUMFISA-L checkY
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Alcuronium chloride (formerly marketed as Alloferin) is a neuromuscular blocking (NMB) agent, alternatively referred to as a skeletal muscle relaxant. It is a semi-synthetic substance prepared from C-toxiferine I,[1] a bis-quaternary alkaloid obtained from Strychnos toxifera. C-toxiferine I itself has been tested for its pharmacological action and noted to be a very long acting neuromuscular blocking agent[2] For a formal definition of the durations of actions associated with NMB agents, see page for gantacurium. The replacement of both the N-methyl groups with N-allyl moieties yielded N,N-diallyl-bis-nortoxiferine, now recognized as alcuronium.

Inclusion of the allylic functions presented an enhanced potential area of biotransformation, and thus alcuronium is observed to have a much shorter duration of neuromuscular blocking action than its parent C-toxiferine I.[3] It also has a more rapid onset of action, and is ~1.5 times as potent as tubocurarine.[4] The pharmacological action of alcuronium is readily reversed by neostigmine, and it produces little histamine release.[5] The major disadvantage of alcuronium is that it elicits a vagolytic effect produced by a selective atropine-like blockade of cardiac muscarinic receptors.[4][6][7]

  1. ^ Foldes FF (1954). "The Mode of Action of Quaternary Ammonium Type Neuromuscular Blocking Agents". Br. J. Anaesth. 26 (6): 394–398. doi:10.1093/bja/26.6.394. PMID 13208908.
  2. ^ Waser PG (1950). Helv. Physiol. Pharmacol. Acta. 8 (3): 342–50. PMID 14793878.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  3. ^ Martin-Smith M (1971), In: Ariens EJ (ed.), "Drug Design". Vol. 2. Academic Press. New York and London. pp.453-530.
  4. ^ a b Speight TM, Avery GS (1972). "Pancuronium Bromide: A Review of its Pharmacological Properties and Clinical Application". Drugs. 4 (3–4): 163–226. doi:10.2165/00003495-197204030-00002. PMID 4264763. S2CID 20303531.
  5. ^ Thompson MA (1980). Br. J. Hosp. Med. 23 (2): 153–4, 163–4, 167–8 passim. PMID 6102875.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  6. ^ Coleman AJ, Downing JW, Leary WP, Moyes DG, Styles M (1972). "The immediate cardiovascular effects of pancuronium, alcuronium and tubocurarine in man". Anaesthesia. 27 (4): 415–22. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2044.1972.tb08247.x. PMID 4264060. S2CID 36615570.
  7. ^ Hughes R, Chapple DJ (1976). "Effects of Non-Depolarizing Neuromuscular Blocking Agents on Peripheral Autonomic Mechanisms in Cats". Br. J. Anaesth. 48 (2): 59–68. doi:10.1093/bja/48.2.59. PMID 130154.