Active ingredient: Dantrolene - Brands, Medical Use, Clinical Data

Brands, Medical Use, Clinical Data

Drug Category

• Muscle Relaxants, Central

Dosage Forms

• Capsule
• Powder for solution

Brands / Synonyms

Dantrium; Dantrium Intravenous; Dantrolene Sodium; Dantrolene [USAN:BAN:INN]; Dantroleno [INN-Spanish]; Dantrolenum [INN-Latin]

Indications

For use, along with appropriate supportive measures, for the management of the fulminant hypermetabolism of skeletal muscle characteristic of malignant hyperthermia crises in patients of all ages. Also used preoperatively, and sometimes postoperatively, to prevent or attenuate the development of clinical and laboratory signs of malignant hyperthermia in individuals judged to be malignant hyperthermia susceptible.

Pharmacology

Dantrolene is classified as a direct-acting skeletal muscle relaxant. It is currently the only specific and effective treatment for malignant hyperthermia. In isolated nerve-muscle preparation, Dantrium has been shown to produce relaxation by affecting the contractile response of the muscle at a site beyond the myoneural junction. In skeletal muscle, Dantrium dissociates excitation-contraction coupling, probably by interfering with the release of Ca²⁺ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. In the anesthetic-induced malignant hyperthermia syndrome, evidence points to an intrinsic abnormality of skeletal muscle tissue. In selected humans, it has been postulated that “triggering agents” (e.g.,general anesthetics and depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents) produce a change within the cell which results in an elevated myoplasmic calcium. This elevated myoplasmic calcium activates acute cellular catabolic processes that cascade to the malignant hyperthermia crisis. It is hypothesized that addition of Dantrium to the “triggered” malignant hyperthermic muscle cell reestablishes a normal level of ionized calcium in the myoplasm.

Mechanism of Action

Dantrolene depresses excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle by binding to the ryanodine receptor 1, and decreasing intracellular calcium concentration. Ryanodine receptors mediate the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, an essential step in muscle contraction.

Absorption

Bioavailability is 70%.

Toxicity

Oral LD₅₀ in rats is 7400 mg/kg. Symptoms which may occur in case of overdose include, but are not limited to, muscular weakness and alterations in the state of consciousness (e.g., lethargy, coma), vomiting, diarrhea, and crystalluria.

Biotrnasformation / Drug Metabolism

Hepatic, most likely by hepatic microsomal enzymes. Its major metabolites in body fluids are 5-hydroxydantrolene and an acetylamino metabolite of dantrolene. Another metabolite with an unknown structure appears related to the latter. Dantrium may also undergo hydrolysis and subsequent oxidation forming nitrophenylfuroic acid.

Contraindications

Not Available

Drug Interactions

Dantrium is metabolized by the liver, and it is theoretically possible that its metabolism may be enhanced by drugs known to induce hepatic microsomal enzymes. However, neither phenobarbital nor diazepam appears to affect Dantrium metabolism. Binding to plasma protein is not significantly altered by diazepam, diphenylhydantoin, or phenylbutazone. Binding to plasma proteins is reduced by warfarin and clotibrate and increased by tolbutamide.

Cardiovascular collapse in patients treated simultaneously with varapamil and dantrolene sodium is rare. The combination of therapeutic doses of intravenous dantrolene sodium and verapamil in halothane/a-chloralose anesthetized swine has resulted in ventricular fibrillation and cardiovascular collapse in association with marked hyperkalemia. It is recommended that the combination of intravenous dantrolene sodium and calcium channel blockers, such as verapamil, not be used together during the management of malignant hyperthermia crisis until the relevance of these findings to humans is established.

Administration of dantrolene may potentiate vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block.