Summary
Rhesus monkeys received the tertiary and quaternary forms of scopolamine and atropine intravenously and were tested in one of three avoidance situations. On the basis of MEDs for disrupting the learned behavior, scopolamine was estimated to be 3–32-fold more potent than atropine and at least 10–316-fold more potent than methyl scopolamine, and atropine was at least 3–100-fold more potent than methyl atropine. The effects produced by the two congeners are interpreted as being centrally mediated and the difference in potency between them as reflecting the relative ease with which each penetrates the blood-brain barrier.
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The investigation was supported by Chemical Research and Development Laboratories, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, on Contract No. DA 18-108-AMC-78(A). In conducting the research reported herein, the investigators adhered to the “Principles of Laboratory Animal Care” as established by the National Society for Medical Research.
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Samuel, G.K., Kodama, J.K. & Mennear, J.H. Effects of scopolamine and atropine and their quaternized salts on avoidance behavior in the monkey. Psychopharmacologia 8, 295–301 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407863
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407863