tubocurarine

tubocurarine

 [too″bo-ku-rah´rēn]

an alkaloid from the bark and stems of Chondrodendron tomentosum; it is the active principle of curare and is a nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent; used in the form of the chloride salt for relaxation of skeletal muscles in surgery and convulsive therapy and as an aid in the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis. Administered intravenously or intramuscularly.

Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

tubocurarine

(to͞o′bō-ko͝o-rä′rĭn, -rēn′, -kyo͝o-, tyo͞o′-)

n.

1. An alkaloid that is an active component of curare obtained from the plant Chondrodendron tomentosum.

2. The hydrated chloride form of this alkaloid, C₃₈H₄₄Cl₂N₂O₆, used as a drug to relax skeletal muscles during anesthesia.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.