Abstract
THE exact mechanism responsible for the muscle weakness and rapid fatigue characteristic of myasthenia gravis remains unknown, although it has long been recognized to be associated with a failure of neuromuscular transmission. Three main factors have been suggested as the possible cause of this neuromuscular block: first, a reduction in the amount of acetylcholine liberated at the myoneural junction; secondly, an excessive rate of its destruction due to increased esterase activity; and thirdly, the prevention of its depolarizing action on the motor end-plate by a curare-like substance.
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CHURCHILL-DAVIDSON, H., RICHARDSON, A. Motor End-Plate Differences as a Determining Factor in the Mode of Action of Neuro-Muscular Blocking Substances. Nature 170, 617–618 (1952). https://doi.org/10.1038/170617b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/170617b0
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