Muscle relaxant properties of chloramphenicol.

Experiments with the guinea pig ileum, guinea pig trachea, rat fundal strip, rat colon, rat vas deferens, and toad heart indicated that chloramphenicol inhibited smooth muscles, decreasing both the height and frequency of spontaneous contraction. Chloramphenicol-induced relaxation was not mediated through adrenergic, cholinergic, or histaminergic mechanisms. The degree of muscle relaxation was related to the concentration of chloramphenicol, and the relaxant effect could be reversed by removing chloramphenicol from site of action by washing. Its action appears to be direct on the muscle, possibly by interfering with the energy-generating mechanism.