The effect of the steroid muscle relaxant pipecurium bromide on the acetylcholinesterase activity of red blood cells in vitro.

The acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibitory effect of a muscle relaxant 2 beta,16 beta-bis-(4'-dimethyl-1'-piperazino)-3 alpha,17 beta-diacetoxy-5 alpha-androstane dibromide (pipecurium bromide, RGH-1106, Arduan), was studied in vitro. The inhibition of AchE activity of human red blood cells, expressed as pI50, was 3.99, whereas that of serum cholinesterase (ChE) was 4.33. The AchE inhibitor action was reversible. The inhibition was not influenced by the combined administration of promethazine or atropine. The combined effect of pipecurium bromide and of some other diamino-azasteroid agent proved to be additive. Pipecurium bromide showed mixed-type inhibitory effect both on AchE and ChE.