Effects of certain muscarinic antagonists on the actions of anticholinesterases on cat skeletal muscle.

1. The effects of some muscarinic antagonists, namely, N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidylmethyl-cyclopentylphenyl glycollate (PMCG), N-methyl-4-piperidyl-phenylcyclohexyl glycollate (PPCG, racemate and R and S enantiomers) and 4'-N-methyl-piperidyl-1-phenyl-cyclopentane carboxylate (G3063) on organophosphate (sarin, soman)- and carbamate (neostigmine)-induced twitch augmentation have been studied in cat soleus muscle. 2. The results of a preliminary study comparing the potency of sarin and soman in inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase activity of muscle in relation to the effect on the maximal twitch response indicated that there is not a simple relationship between degree of enzyme inhibition by these drugs and alteration of muscle function. 3. The muscarinic antagonists studied were capable of preventing or reversing sarin-, soman- or neostigmine-induced twitch augmentation. Doses sufficient to give complete protection from the effects of the anticholinesterase agents had little or no effect on the twitch response of normal muscle. 4. The protective action of these muscarinic antagonists is dose-dependent but independent of known antagonist actions at muscarinic receptors. 5. The effects of some local anaesthetics (lignocaine, prilocaine, cinchocaine, procaine) and other membrane stabilizers (quinine, ketamine, chlorpromazine, triflupromazine) were compared with those of the muscarinic antagonists in an attempt to elucidate the mode of action of these acetylcholine antagonists. The evidence is insufficient to exclude the involvement of a membrane stabilizing action.