[PDF] Effects of calcium ions and local anaesthetics on electrical

What are the clinical characteristics of local anesthetic agents?

The clinical characteristics of the local anesthetic agents such as onset times, potency and duration, can be attributed to differences in chemical properties of their molecular structures: • The more an anesthetic exists in an ionized state, the slower is its onset time. This is the case of ester anesthetics in general.

What is the difference between local anesthetics and esters?

Duration of action: Esters: shorter duration of action (compared to local anesthetics with amide linkages) Properties: Local Anesthetics are weak bases:

What is the mechanism of action of local anesthetic?

Mechanism of action. This theory proposes that the local anesthetic diffuses across the cell membrane and binds to a specific receptor at the opening of the voltage-gated sodium channel. The local anesthetic affinity to the voltage-gated Na + channel increases markedly with the excitation rate of the neuron.

Why are local anesthetics toxic?

•This characteristic allows local anesthetics to cross plasma membrane and intracellular membranes quickly and also to interact with charged targets such as structural or catalytic proteins and signaling systems. •Therefore, local anesthetics produce a variety of toxic effects in several tissue types, mainly heart, brain and skeletal muscle.