Penicillamine-induced myasthenic responses in the guinea pig.
Muscle Nerve, 1979/5-1979/6;2(3):186-90.
Burres SA, Richman DP, Crayton JW, Arnason BG
PMID: 228188
Impact factor: 3.852
Abstract
To study the basis for the myasthenic illness that develops in some patients receiving D-penicillamine (D-P), we measured neuromuscular transmission in D-P-treated guinea pigs. Treated animals manifested edrophonium chloride-repairable decremental responses to 30-Hz nerve stimulation (8.5% +/- 1.5%--mean +/- SEM; N = 16) compared with the response in saline-treated control animals (-0.3% +/- 0.85%, N = 10, p less than 0.005). Posttetanic phenomena were studied in 5 treated animals; 3 revealed posttetanic exhaustion. Miniature endplate potential (MEPP) amplitudes were significantly reduced in 11 treated animals (0.612 +/- 0.016 mV) compared with 6 controls (0.713 +/- 0.024 mV, p less than 0.01). The MEPP frequency appeared reduced in treated animals. Both MEPP amplitude and MEEP frequency correlated with the decrement.
MeSH terms
Animals; Guinea Pigs; Male; Motor Endplate; Myasthenia Gravis; Neuromuscular Junction; Penicillamine; Synaptic Transmission
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