A student asks the pharmacology instructor how succinylcholine differs from acetylcholine (ACh). What should the instructor respond?
A) "Succinylcholine is not broken down instantly."
B) "It results in a prolonged contraction of the muscle."
C) "The muscle becomes hyper stimulated by succinylcholine."
D) Succinylcholine's duration of action is about 2 hours."
A
Feedback:
Unlike endogenous ACh, succinylcholine is not broken down instantly. Succinylcholine, a depolarizing NMJ blocker, attaches to the ACh-receptor site on the muscle cell, causing a prolonged depolarization of the muscle. This depolarization causes stimulation of the muscle and muscle contraction (seen as twitching) and then as flaccid paralysis, so the contraction of the muscle is not prolonged and the muscle is incapable of being stimulated. The duration of effects of succinylcholine is 4 to 6 minutes and not 2 hours.
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