Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) (BChE)

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), also known as pseudocholinesterase, is a serine hydrolase enzyme primarily synthesized in the liver and found in high concentrations in the blood plasma [1]. Its primary biological function involves the hydrolysis of various choline esters, serving as a metabolic defense mechanism against dietary toxins and pharmaceutical agents such as the muscle relaxant succinylcholine and the local anesthetic procaine [2]. In the central nervous system, BChE activity is significantly elevated in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, where it is thought to contribute to the depletion of acetylcholine and the maturation of amyloid plaques [3]. Consequently, BChE is considered a therapeutic target for cholinesterase inhibitors like rivastigmine, which aim to preserve cholinergic signaling [4]. The specific mention of desloratadine in this context relates to its documented ability to act as a reversible inhibitor of BChE, an off-target effect that may have implications for the metabolism of co-administered drugs [5]. Genetic variants of the BCHE gene can lead to enzyme deficiency, a condition that poses a major safety concern as it results in prolonged, life-threatening respiratory paralysis when patients are treated with certain neuromuscular blocking agents [6].

Other names

PseudocholinesterasePlasma cholinesteraseBCHEAcylcholine acylhydrolaseCholinesterase (non-specific)

Inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase activity, preventing the hydrolysis of acetylcholine or other ester-based substrates.