The interaction of cyproheptadine with agents affecting neuromuscular transmission

Using the rat phrenic nerve diaphragm, cyproheptadine at concentrations of 1 to 8 mug/ml did not affect or slightly augmented indirect muscle twitches, but potentiated blockade by tubocurarine, decamethonium and succinylcholine, and antagonized the augmentation of twitches by neostigmine. Ketamine, choline and tetraethylammonium at concentrations causing no blockade produced, when given after cyproheptadine (6 mug/ml), a high degree of blockade. At concentrations of 9 to 20 mug/ml, cyproheptadine induced neuromuscular blockade which was slow in onset, more apparent at higher rate of stimulation and was not reversed by neostigmine, choline or tetraethylammonium. In the cat tibialis anterior muscle, it potentiated blockade by tubocurarine, decamethonium and succinylcholine, and blocked acetylcholine twitches. In the chick biventer cervicis muscle, the durg was more effective in blocking indirect twitches than responses to carbachol.