Chemical Properties
White or almost white, crystalline powder or colourless crystals, sensitive to light.
Uses
Pilocarpine nitrate salt has been used to measure bronchoconstriction and M2 and M3 muscarinic receptor function in vivo. It has also been used to induce electrographic and behavioral seizures and to study the different patterns of neuronal activation and neurodegeneration in Proechimys rats and Wistar rats.
Uses
Antiglaucoma drug;Cholinergic
Uses
antiglaucoma agent, miotic
brand name
Pilagan (Allergan).
General Description
Pilocarpine mononitrate occursas shining white crystals that are not hygroscopic butare light sensitive. It is soluble in water (1:4) and alcohol(1:75) but insoluble in chloroform and ether. Aqueoussolutions are slightly acid to litmus and may be sterilizedin the autoclave. The alkaloid is incompatible with alkalies,iodides, silver nitrate, and reagents that precipitatealkaloids.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Pilocarpine is a cholinergic muscarinic agonist, useful in inducing epilepsy in animal models. It is specially used to study the pathogenesis of epileptogenesis and pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Pilocarpine application is more popular among the rat and mice models.
