STUDIES ON THE ANTICHOLINESTERASE AND TWITCH POTENTIATION ACTIVITIES OF GALANTHAMINE

Abstract

Following the isolation of galanthamine by Proskurina (1) and Uyeo (2), Mashkovskiy (3, 4) reported that cholinesterase activity was depressed and sensitivity of striated muscles to acetylcholine was increased by the administration of galanthamine. Sedova (5) also recognized that galanthamine administration caused myosis, salivation, and the activation of smooth muscle movement in experimental animals. Hence the application of galanthamine for the therapy of myopathy, myasthenia gravis, radiculitis, and polyneuritis was suggested. Anticholinesterase activities of galanthamine were further examined by Irwin et al. (6, 7). After examining both the anticholinesterase activity and twitch potentiation of several galanthamine derivatives, they concluded that galanthamine methiodide was the most active.
It seems, however, that something still remnaines to be clarified in the correlation between the twitch potentiation and anticholinesterase activity of galanthamine derivatives. The present experiments were chiefly carried out to clarify this point. Subsequently, comparisons of galanthamine were made with other anticholinesterases i.e. neostigmine, physostigmine, and DFP, in regards to muscle twitch potentiation, anticholinesterase activity, and in the activation of the motor nerve terminals.