THE ANTAGONISM OF ACETYLCHOLINE AND OF QUATERNARY AMMONIUM SALTS

Abstract

1. The study of a number of antagonists in a variety of tissues shows that all drugs which antagonise acetylcholine also antagonise Me4N. 2. The concentration of antagonist needed in any tissue to produce an equal intensity of antagonism is similar with acetylcholine and with Me4N. 3. A considerable proportion of the antagonism studied between drugs termed A and B approximate to the simple relation [A]/[B]=constant. A certain proportion of antagonisms deviate from this relationship. 4. A considerable proportion of the facts observed can be interpreted on the assumption that antagonistic drugs compete for a common receptor. The expenses of this research were in part defrayed by a grant from the Moray Fund, and the cost of illustrations by a grant from the Carnegie Trust, for both of which we express our thanks. © 1937 The Physiological Society