| Abstract: | The effects of oxamniquine have been investigated on parasympathetic and sympathetic transmissions using in vitro and in vivo laboratory models. Oxamniquine (3.6 X 10(-5)-5.5 X 10(-4) M) depressed or abolished electrically-evoked contractions of the isolated chick esophagus and isolated vas deferens muscle preparations. At the same concentration (3.6 X 10(-5)-5.5 X 10(-4) M) levels, the drug also reduced or abolished the indirect, electrically-provoked twitches of the rat isolated phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm muscle preparations and contractions of the cat nictitating membrane induced by pre-ganglionic cervical sympathetic nerve trunk electrical stimulation in vivo. These results strongly suggest blockade of sympathetic and parasympathetic transmissions by oxamniquine. |
