Chloroprocaine Pathway


Chloroprocaine exerts its local anaesthetic effect by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in peripheral neurons. Chloroprocaine diffuses across the neuronal plasma membrane in its uncharged base form. Once inside the cytoplasm, it is protonated and this protonated form enters and blocks the pore of the voltage-gated sodium channel from the cytoplasmic side. For this to happen, the sodium channel must first become active so that so that gating mechanism is in the open state. Therefore chloroprocaine preferentially inhibits neurons that are actively firing.

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References

  1. Harmatz, A. (2009). Local anesthetics: uses and toxicities. Surgical Clinics of North America, 89(3), 587-598. PMID: 19465198
  2. Skidmore, R.A., Patterson, J.D., & Tomsick R.S. (1996). Local anesthetics. Dermatologic Surgery, 22(6), 511-522. PMID: 8646465