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Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 26, 201-205, Copyright © 1979 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

The Effect of Morphine on Human Neuromuscular Transmission

P. C. DUKE 1, C. H. JOHNS 1, C. PINSKY 2, and P. GOERTZEN 3

1 Department of Anaesthesia, University of Manitoba Health Sciences Centre, General, A709-700 William Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0Z3
2 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba Health Sciences Centre, General, A709-700 William Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0Z3
3 University of Manitoba Health Sciences Centre, General, A709-700 William Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0Z3

By utilizing high frequency nerve stimulation, we observed the effects of morphine sulphate, 0.5 mg·kg-1 on human neuromuscular transmission. Tetanic fade at 50, 100 and 200 hz did not change during the one hour period after infusion of morphine. Post-tetanic depression (PTD) of single twitch response increased progressively with time over the one-hour study period. This was most marked with the 100 and 200 hz tetanic frequencies. In contrast, control subjects displayed either no change, or a slight increase (post-tetanic facilitation; PTF), over a similar one-hour test period. We believe these results are best explained by a presynaptic action of morphine, whereby intraterminal mobilization of acetylcholine is impaired by the opiate narcotic drug.






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Copyright © 1979 by the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.