Tubocurarine

drugbox
IUPAC_name =

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width2 = 150
CAS_number = 57-94-3
ATC_prefix = M03
ATC_suffix = AA02
ATC_supplemental = ATC|M03|AA04
PubChem = 6000
DrugBank = APRD00176
ChemSpiderID = 5778
C=37 | H=41 | N=2 | O=6
molecular_weight = 609.731 g/mol
bioavailability =
protein_bound = 50%
metabolism =
elimination_half-life = 1-2 Hours
pregnancy_category =
legal_status = banned
routes_of_administration = I.V.

Tubocurarine chloride is an antagonist of nicotinic neuromuscular acetylcholine receptorscite journal |author=Wenningmann I, Dilger JP |title=The kinetics of inhibition of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by (+)-tubocurarine and pancuronium |journal=Molecular pharmacology |volume=60 |issue=4 |pages=790–6 |year=2001 |month=October |pmid=11562442 |doi= |url=http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=11562442] that is used to paralyse patients undergoing anaesthesia.

History

It is one of the chemicals that can be obtained from curare, itself an extract of "Chondrodendron tomentosum", a plant found in South American jungles which is used as a source of arrow poison. Native indians hunting animals with this poison were able to eat the animal's contaminated flesh without being affected by the toxin because tubocurarine cannot easily cross mucous membranes and is thus inactive orally.

Medically, first used in 1912. Introduced in anaesthesia in 1942. The correct chemical structure was only elucidated circa 1970, even though the plant had been known since the Spanish Conquest.

The word "curare" comes from the South American Indian name for the arrow poison: "ourare". Presumably the initial syllable was pronounced with a heavy glottal stroke. Tubocurarine is so called because the plant samples containing it were first shipped to Europe in tubes.

Today, tubocurarine has fallen into disuse in western medicine, as safer synthetic alternatives such as atracurium are available. However, tubocurarine is still used in the United States and elsewhere as part of the lethal injection procedure.

Other names

d-Tubocurarine. Tubocurarin.Tubocurarinum.Delacurarine.Tubarine.Metubine.Jex

HSDB 2152. Isoquinoline Alkaloid.Tubadil.Mecostrin.Intracostin.Intocostrin.

References