Pleiotropic effects and pharmacological properties of penehyclidine hydrochloride

Background Penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) is an anticholinergic drug manufactured in China. It is used widely in clinics as a reversal agent in cases of organic phosphorus poisoning and as a preanesthetic medication. Compared with other anticholinergic agents, PHC confers substantial advantages. Here, in this review, we focus on its important clinical effects for organic phosphorus poisoning, preanesthetic medication, and the protective effects on certain visceral organs. Materials and methods Our bibliographic sources include the PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases, updated in March 2018. To assess the data in detail, we used the search terms “penehyclidine hydrochloride,” “preanesthetic medication,” and “organic phosphorus.” Papers were restricted to those published in the English and Chinese languages, and to “paper” and “review” as the document type. Results PHC can effectively antagonize the symptoms of central and peripheral poisoning caused by organophosphorus poisoning. As a preanesthetic medication, it can not only effectively reduce mucus secretion and vascular infiltration but can also relax airway smooth muscles, dilate bronchioles in pulmonary conditions such as bronchiectasis, and increase pulmonary dynamic compliance. It can also prevent reflexive actions of the vagus nerve caused by excessive acetylcholine release such as abnormal airway contraction. Furthermore, it can strengthen sedation, bidirectionally regulate heart rate, and effectively inhibit respiratory secretions. In recent studies, PHC was shown to also have protective effects on various organs, such as the heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, intestines, and liver. Conclusion PHC has beneficial pharmacological properties used in the treatment of organophosphorus poisoning and as a preanesthetic medication for its few side effects. It also has protective effects on multiple organs, suggesting that PHC has extensive clinical application value which is worth further research. This review should be of help to those intending to research these topics further.