Final answer:
Prilocaine is the local anesthetic metabolized by the enzyme pseudocholinesterase. Local anesthetics work by blocking the voltage-gated sodium channels, thus preventing nerve impulses and causing numbness in the targeted area. Prilocaine's unique metabolism through hydrolysis by pseudocholinesterase sets it apart from others like lidocaine, which is metabolized in the liver.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct option : d
Local anesthetics like lidocaine and procaine are widely utilized in medical procedures to induce loss of sensation in targeted areas, thereby preventing pain during surgical operations or dental work. These drugs function by blocking the voltage-gated sodium channels on nerve cell membranes. Normally, when a nerve is stimulated, sodium ions flood into the neuron, leading to a rapid depolarization and the propagation of an electrical signal, or impulse. However, the action of local anesthetics prevents this sodium influx, hence stopping the nerve from reaching the threshold potential needed to fire an impulse. This inhibition of sodium channels effectively prevents the conduction of nerve impulses, leading to a temporary loss of sensation in the area where the anesthetic has been applied.
Prilocaine is unique among the local anesthetics mentioned because it undergoes hydrolysis by pseudocholinesterase, an enzyme present in plasma. Other local anesthetics are metabolized differently. For example, lidocaine is primarily metabolized in the liver by hepatic enzymes. Understanding how these drugs are metabolized is important in clinical settings to predict their duration of action and potential toxicity risks, especially in patients with variations in their metabolic enzymes like atypical pseudocholinesterase, which can lead to prolonged effects of the drugs.