Potential effect of omiprazole on skeletal muscle contraction in experimental animals

ABSTRACT

Omeprazole is widely used as an antiulcer and anesthetic premeditation. Recently, it was reported that, omeprazole potentiates the effect of neuromuscular blockers. So, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of omeprazole on skeletal muscle contraction and a potential interaction between omeprazole and some neuromuscular blockers namely gallamine [non depolarizing] and succinylcholine [depolarizing]. This study revealed that omeprazole I.V. [4-32 mg/kg] produced a significant [> 0.05] decrease in amplitude of contraction of indirect electrically stimulated rat's gastrocnemius muscle. Omeprazole 10 mg/kg I.V. intensified the relaxant effect in tone of indirect electrically stimulated rat's gastrocnemius muscle, produced by gallamine 0.4 mg/kg I.V. and succinycholine 0.1 mg/kg. The present study also, revealed that omeprazole produced a significant [> 0.05] decrease in amplitude of contraction of toad's rectus muscle induced by acetylcholine. Meanwhile, omeprazole failed to affect potassium chloride [KCI] induced toad's rectus muscle contraction. Omeprazole 0.02 mg/ml augmented the inhibitory effect produced by gallamine 4 micro g/ml and succinylcholine 1 micro g/ml on toad's rectus muscle contraction inducted by acetylcholine. In conclusion, omeprazole has a skeletal muscle relaxant effect at human therapeutic doses, also potentiates the effects produced by gallamine and succinylcholine on rat's gastrocnemius