Pancuronium

Structural formula
General
Non-proprietary name	Pancuronium
other names	Pancuronium bromide; 1,1- (3 α -17 β -diacetoxy-5 α -androstane-2 β , 16 β -diyl) bis (1-methylpiperidinium bromide);
Molecular formula	C 35 H 60 Br 2 N 2 O 4
Brief description	whitish, odorless, hygroscopic, crystalline powder
External identifiers / databases
EC number	239-532-5
ECHA InfoCard	100.035.923
PubChem	27350
DrugBank	DB01337
Wikidata	Q27107612
Drug information
ATC code	M03 AC01
Drug class	Muscle relaxant
Mechanism of action	competitive acetylcholine receptor - antagonist
properties
Molar mass	572.86 g · mol -1
Physical state	firmly
Melting point	215 ° C
solubility	soluble in water (1: 1) and ethanol (1: 5)
safety instructions
	Please note the exemption from the labeling requirement for drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, food and animal feed
GHS labeling of hazardous substances danger
H and P phrases	H: 301
	P: 301 + 310
Toxicological data	0.013 mg kg −1 ( LD 50 , mouse , iv )
	As far as possible and customary, SI units are used. Unless otherwise noted, the data given apply to standard conditions .

Pancuronium , also known as pancuronium bromide , is chemically a steroid used as a drug as a non-depolarizing muscle relaxant with a long duration of action with a half-life of 110-160 minutes .

effect

After injection, pancuronium competes with the neurotransmitter acetylcholine for the receptors on skeletal muscle cells . This leads to a flaccid paralysis of the voluntarily movable muscles. The effect starts after a few minutes and lasts for about 45 minutes. The drug is mainly used for anesthesia , mechanical ventilation is absolutely necessary. As the only clinically used muscle relaxant, pancuronium also has an antimuscarinic effect. In this way, the influence of the parasympathetic system on the muscarinic receptor in the heart is inhibited. This leads to an accelerated heartbeat (tachycardia) when pancuronium is given. Due to the competitive mechanism of action on the receptor, the effect can be at least partially canceled by increasing the acetylcholine level in the synapse (by administering cholinesterase inhibitors ).

Use in lethal injection

In the United States, pancuronium is often given along with thiopental and potassium chloride during execution by lethal injection . His job here is to paralyze the person, with cardiac arrest, respiratory paralysis and respiratory depression possibly being the cause (s) of death. The fatal effect is not due to an acute toxic effect of the pancuronium.

Trade names

Pancuronium was commercially available under the name Pavulon in Switzerland and as a generic in Germany . It has not been available in Switzerland since 2012.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c Entry on pancuronium bromide. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on June 6, 2012.
↑ ^a ^b Data sheet Pancuronium bromide from Sigma-Aldrich , accessed on April 16, 2011 ( PDF ).
↑ Entry on pancuronium bromide in the ChemIDplus database of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), accessed on July 31, 2018 or earlier.
^ Red List, 2006.

[Römpp-1] Entry on pancuronium bromide. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on June 6, 2012.

[Sigma-2] Data sheet Pancuronium bromide from Sigma-Aldrich , accessed on April 16, 2011 ( PDF ).

[ChemIDplus-3] Entry on pancuronium bromide in the ChemIDplus database of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), accessed on July 31, 2018 or earlier.

[4] Red List, 2006.