Triethylcholine is a
drug
A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...
which mimics
choline, and causes failure of
cholinergic transmission
Transmission may refer to:
Medicine, science and technology
* Power transmission
** Electric power transmission
** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power
*** Automatic transmission
*** Manual transmission
*** ...
by interfering with
synthesis
Synthesis or synthesize may refer to:
Science Chemistry and biochemistry
*Chemical synthesis, the execution of chemical reactions to form a more complex molecule from chemical precursors
** Organic synthesis, the chemical synthesis of organ ...
of
acetylcholine
Acetylcholine (ACh) is an organic chemical that functions in the brain and body of many types of animals (including humans) as a neurotransmitter. Its name is derived from its chemical structure: it is an ester of acetic acid and choline. Part ...
in
nerve endings
A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system.
A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the e ...
.
Effects
Triethylcholine produces a slowly developing
neuromuscular weakness that is exacerbated by exercise, resembling the symptoms of
myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a long-term neuromuscular junction disease that leads to varying degrees of skeletal muscle weakness. The most commonly affected muscles are those of the eyes, face, and swallowing. It can result in double vision, dro ...
. It also has
ganglionic blocking effects, causing transient autonomic symptoms such as
hypotension. Muscles stimulated at a high contraction rate are much more affected than those stimulated at a low rate. The muscle weakness typically lasts for 80 to 120 minutes; it is partially relieved by rest. High doses may result in death from
respiratory failure, particularly after exercise. Triethylcholine seems to interfere with the synthesis of acetylcholine in the presynaptic nerve endings, since its effects are reversed by
choline but not by
acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. However the mechanism of action is not definitely known. Animal experiments revealed a relatively low acute toxicity: intravenous administration of 10–25 mg/kg triethylcholine
iodide produced slight to moderate exercise intolerance, while 100 mg/kg caused death in rabbits after continuous exercise. However, there was no full
paralysis
Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...
even at fatal doses.
See also
*
Hemicholinium-3
*
Tetraethylammonium
References
{{Acetylcholine metabolism and transport modulators
Quaternary ammonium compounds
Primary alcohols
Acetylcholine synthesis inhibitors