Articaine hydrochloride

White to beige powder. Soluble in water (20 mg/ml), DMSO (15mg/ml) or ethanol (5mg/ml). Chemical. CAS: 23964-57-0. Formula: C13H20N2O3S . HCl. MW: 284.4 . 36.5. Synthetic. Articaine is an amide local anesthetic widely used in dentistry. It possesses a unique ester side chain that is metabolized rapidly by circulating esterases. Articaine blocks nerve conduction by reversibly binding to the alpha-subunit of the voltage-gated sodium channels within the inner cavity of the nerve, similar to other local anesthetics. Binding of articaine to the sodium channel reduces sodium influx so that the threshold potential will not be reached and impulse conduction stops. The blocking action of articaine on the sodium channel is state dependent.