Antimuscarinic effects of (R)- and (S)- oxyphencyclimine hydrochloride.

The (R)-(+)- and (S)-(-)-enantiomers of the anticholinergic compound, oxyphencyclimine, were synthesized from (R)-(-)- and (S)-(+)-2-cyclohexyl-2-hydroxy-2-phenylethanoic acid, respectively. The potencies of the enantiomers were compared using a cholinergic receptor binding assay. The (R)-(+)-enantiomer inhibited binding 29 times more potently than the (S)-(-)-enantiomer.