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Rocuronium is more hepatotoxic than succinylcholine in vitro
Martin Sauer1, Ines Piel, Cristof Haubner
1From the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital of Rostock (MS, IP, CH, GR, GN-S, TM); and Fraunhofer Institut for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Project Group EXIM, Rostock, Germany (MS, MM).
European Journal of Anaesthesiology
|August 2, 2017
Summary
Rocuronium, a neuromuscular blocking agent, demonstrated dose-dependent liver toxicity in an in-vitro study. Succinylcholine did not show significant hepatotoxicity, indicating a need for further investigation into rocuronium
Area of Science:
- Hepatology and Pharmacology
- Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) research
- In-vitro toxicology models
Background:
- Drug-induced liver failure is a critical concern in critically ill patients.
- Existing human models for screening drug hepatotoxicity are limited.
- Rocuronium and succinylcholine are commonly used neuromuscular blocking agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the in-vitro hepatotoxicity of rocuronium and succinylcholine.
- To evaluate the effects of these agents on liver cell viability and function.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a permanent human liver cell line (HepG2/C3A) in a standardized microtitre plate assay.
- Assessed cell viability (XTT assay, LDH release, trypan blue staining), albumin synthesis, and cytochrome 1A2 activity after exposure to varying concentrations.
- Statistical analysis included Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests.
Main Results:
- Rocuronium induced a significant, dose-dependent decrease in cell viability, albumin synthesis, and cytochrome 1A2 activity.
- Succinylcholine did not exhibit significant hepatotoxic effects under the same conditions.
- These findings highlight differential toxicity profiles between the two neuromuscular blocking agents.
Conclusions:
- In-vitro testing revealed dose-dependent hepatotoxicity of rocuronium.
- Succinylcholine did not show significant hepatotoxicity in this cell line model.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying rocuronium's hepatic cellular effects.
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