Effects of atracurium, vecuronium or pancuronium pretreatment on lignocaine seizure thresholds in cats.

Among the non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs, atracurium appears to be unique in its ability to produce cerebral stimulation in lightly anaesthetized animals. This effect is attributed to the atracurium metabolite, laudanosine. The following studies were performed to determine if pretreatments with the non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockers pancuronium, atracurium or vecuronium would differ in their effects on the seizure threshold of lignocaine. Adult mongrel cats were anaesthetized with 1.0 MAC halothane in oxygen and nitrogen. Ventilation, blood-gas tensions, acid-base balance and temperature were controlled. Cats received pancuronium 0.2 mg kg 1 i.v. (n = 7), atracurium 1.0 mg kg-1 i.v. (n = 7) or vecuronium 0.2 mg kg-1 i.v. (n = 7). Ten minutes after the administration of the myoneural blocker, all cats received lignocaine 4 mg kg-1 min-1 i.v. until the onset of EEG evidence of generalized seizure activity. At seizure onset, there were no statistically significant differences among the cumulative lignocaine doses or the serum lignocaine concentrations in cats pretreated with pancuronium, atracurium or vecuronium.