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Pseudocholinesterase Activity in Human Cerebrospinal Fluid

Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.

Abstract

Pseudocholinesterase (PCHE) activity and dibucaine numbers (DN) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma of 10 ASA physical status 1 and 2 patients were measured using a kinetic method. CSF had a mean PCHE activity of 0.018 ± 0.013 unit/ml with a DN of 59 ± 4. Whereas, PCHE activity and DN in the plasma were 0.960 ± 0.12 units/ml and 84 ± 3, respectively.

We also measured PCHE activity and DN in the CSF and plasma of 4 patients in whom there was a recent history of intraventricular bleeding. These patients had a CSF PCHE activity of 0.340 ± 0.07 units/ml (DN = 78 ± 3) and a plasma PCHE activity of 0.950 ± 0.10 units/ml (DN = 82 ± 2).

Our data show that there is a low activity of PCHE in CSF, 1/20–1/100th that of plasma. Our data also show that PCHE activity increased to 1/4 to 1/2 that of plasma in CSF of patients with bleeding into CSF.

Key Words: Ezymes: pseudocholinesterase SPINAL CORD—Cerebrospinal fluid

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