A nicotinic antagonist is a type of
anticholinergic drug that inhibits the action 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 ...
(ACh) at
nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. These compounds are mainly used for peripheral muscle paralysis in surgery, the classical agent of this type being
tubocurarine
Tubocurarine (also known as ''d''-tubocurarine or DTC) is a toxic alkaloid historically known for its use as an arrow poison. In the mid-1900s, it was used in conjunction with an anesthetic to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or ...
,
[P. Taylor (1990). In ''Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th Ed.'', (A. G. Gilman et al., Eds.), pp. 166-186, New York: Pergamon Press.] but some centrally acting compounds such as
bupropion
Bupropion, sold under the brand names Wellbutrin and Zyban among others, is an atypical antidepressant primarily used to treat major depressive disorder and to support smoking cessation. It is also popular as an add-on medication in the case ...
,
mecamylamine, and
18-methoxycoronaridine
18-Methoxycoronaridine (18-MC, or MM-110) is a derivative of ibogaine invented in 1996 by the research team around the pharmacologist Stanley D. Glick from the Albany Medical College and the chemists
Upul K. Bandarage and Martin E. Kuehne fro ...
block nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain and have been proposed for treating
nicotine addiction
Nicotine is a natural product, naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and ''Duboisia hopwoodii'') and is widely used recreational drug use, recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As ...
.
*Note:
Succinylcholine is a nicotinic
agonist
An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the ago ...
. See
neuromuscular blocking agents page for details on the mechanism of action.
See also
*
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
*
Nicotinic agonist
*
Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor
*
Muscarinic agonist
*
Muscarinic antagonist
References
External links
*
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