procaine

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Procaine
Systematic (IUPAC) name
2-(diethylamino)ethyl 4-aminobenzoate
Identifiers
CAS number	59-46-1
ATC code	N01BA02 C05AD05 S01HA05
PubChem	4914
DrugBank	APRD00650
ChemSpider	4745
Chemical data
Formula	C13H20N2O2
Mol. mass	236.31 g/mol
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	n/a
Metabolism	Hydrolysis by plasma esterases
Half life	40–84 seconds
Excretion	Renal
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.	B2(AU) C(US)
Legal status	Prescription Only (S4)(AU)
Routes	Parenteral
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Procaine is a local anesthetic drug of the amino ester group. It is used primarily to reduce the pain of intramuscular injection of penicillin, and it is also used in dentistry. Owing to the ubiquity of the trade name Novocain, procaine is sometimes referred to generically as novocaine.

Procaine was first synthesized in 1898^[1] and was the first injectable man-made local anesthetic. It was created by the German chemist Alfred Einhorn (1856–1917) who gave the chemical the trade name Novocaine, from the Latin nov- (meaning new) and -caine, a common ending for alkaloids used as anesthetics. It was introduced into medical use by surgeon Heinrich Braun (1862–1934).

Procaine is used less frequently today since more effective (and hypoallergenic) alternatives such as lidocaine (Xylocaine) exist. Prior to the discovery of procaine, cocaine was the most commonly used local anesthetic. Like other local anesthetics (with the exception of cocaine), procaine is a vasodilator, and is often coadministered with epinephrine for the purpose of vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction helps to reduce bleeding and prevents the drug from reaching systemic circulation in large amounts. Also unlike cocaine, procaine does not have the euphoric and addictive qualities that put it at risk for abuse.

Procaine, an ester anesthetic, is metabolized in the plasma by the enzyme pseudocholinesterase through hydrolysis into para-amino benzoic acid (PABA), which is then excreted by the kidneys into the urine. Allergic reactions to procaine are usually not in response to procaine itself, but to PABA. About 1 in 3000 people have an atypical form of pseudocholinesterase, which does not hydrolyze ester anesthetics such as procaine, resulting in a prolonged period of high levels of the anesthetic in the blood and increased toxicity.

Procaine is the primary ingredient in the controversial preparation Gerovital H3 by Ana Aslan (Romania), which is claimed by its advocates to remedy many effects of aging. The mainstream medical view is that these claims were seriously studied and discredited in the 1960s.

See also

• Procaine blockade

References

Further reading

• Hahn-Godeffroy, J.D.: Wirkungen und Nebenwirkungen von Procain: was ist gesichert?. Komplement. integr. Med. 02/2007, 32-34