A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF LYONIOL-A, STRYCHNINE AND PENTYLENETETRAZOL ON THE EVOKED ELECTROMYOGRAM IN YOUNG CHICKENS

Abstract

Pharmacological and histological studies (1 — 4) have been made on the effect of the toxic extract from Lyonia ovalifolia var. elliptica (Ericaceae) or lyoniol-A (5), an amyostatic component isolated from the plant. In the previous study (4), we found that intravenous injection of 2 mg/kg of lyoniol-A induced the responses with long latencies in the evoked electromyogram (EMG) of young chicks. In the present study, an experiment was made to elucidate the reflex responses induced by lyoniol-A in the evoked EMG of chicks in comparison with the actions of strychnine and pentylenetetrazol.