[Intravenous pirenzepine reduces salivary secretion rapidly]

We evaluated the effects of pirenzepine on salivary secretion and heart rate, comparing them with those after atropine. Forty-two patients for gynecological operations were divided into three groups. P, A and C groups received pirenzepine 10 mg, atropine 0.5 mg and saline 1 ml intravenously 4 min before induction. Salivary secretion was aspirated at 30, 60 and 120 min after induction. Heart rate was recorded at 1, 30, 60 and 120 min after injection. In P and A groups, salivary secretion decreased significantly, but there was no significant difference between them. In A group, heart rate increased at 1, 30 and 60 min after injection, but at 120 min there was no difference among three groups. We conclude that intravenous pirenzepine as well as atropine reduces salivary secretion, but it does not increase heart rate as atropine.