THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHIC-SEPARATION OF C-14-LABELED SUCCINYLDICHOLINE, SUCCINYLMONOCHOLINE AND CHOLINE

A simple method based on the TLC separation of 14C-labeled succinyldicholine [a muscle relaxant widely used in anesthesiology], succinylmonocholine and choline is reported. The use of a suitable TLC scanner with an integrator allows a rapid quantitation of the degradation products and substrate. Labeled succinyldicholine, succinylmonocholine and choline had Rf values of 0.14, 0.31 and 0.54, respectively. The spontaneous hydrolysis of succinyldicholine was at a minimum in the neutral solvents used here. The separation time is much shorter compared to filter-paper chromatographic methods. The use of a suitable integrator enables simultaneous determination of the degree of hydrolysis of succinyldicholine in enzyme assays. This method is being used to study the serum cholinesterase activity with succinyldicholine as the substrate in sera of various apnea patients and members of their families.