Aminoglycoside antibiotics are known to produce a depression of neuromuscular function which may cause prolonged paralysis of respiratory muscles. However, differences in the effects of aminoglycoside antibiotics on diaphragm and limb muscles have not been investigated. We determined the neuromuscular blocking effects of the aminoglycoside antibiotics arbekacin sulfate, astromicin sulfate, isepamicin sulfate and netilmicin sulfate on the diaphragm, tibialis anterior and soleus muscles in anesthetized rabbit nerve-muscle preparations. Neuromuscular block was assessed by mechanical response with single twitch stimulation. Cumulative drug dose-response curves were obtained for three different muscles in 24 rabbits. The mean ED(50) and ED(95) of the antibiotics in diaphragm, tibialis anterior and soleus muscles were calculated. The neuromuscular blocking effects of all the aminoglycosides on ED(50) and ED(95) values were in the order of soleus > tibialis anterior > diaphragm, and soleus > diaphragm > tibialis anterior, respectively. The ED(50) ratios for the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles were approximately 1.5 and 2.7 times greater than that for the diaphragm.
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