Abstract
The mammalian pharmacology of a new naturally occurring ester of choline, betabeta-dimethylacryloylcholine (DMAC), has been studied, mainly in the cat, together with that of two synthetic beta-substituted acryloylcholines, crotonoylcholine and pent-2-enoylcholine. Comparisons have been made with the reduced form of DMAC, isovalerylcholine, with another naturally ocurring beta-substituted acryloylcholine, murexine (urocanoylcholine), and with suxamethonium. DMAC has been shown to be a ganglion stimulating and neuromuscular blocking agent generally similar, in potency and properties, to murexine. It is also a powerful respiratory stimulant. The other unsaturated esters behaved similarly but were less potent.