Toxicology letters
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Tobacco smoking using a waterpipe (narghile, hookah, shisha) has become a global epidemic. Unlike cigarette smoking, little is known about the health effects of waterpipe use. One acute effect of cigarette smoke inhalation is dysfunction in autonomic regulation of the cardiac cycle, as indicated by reduction in heart rate variability (HRV). ⋯ Plasma nicotine, blood pressure, and heart rate increased only with the tobacco-based product (p<0.01), while CO increased with both products (p<0.01). More smoke was inhaled during tobacco-free product use, potentially reflecting attempted regulation of nicotine intake. The data thus indicate that waterpipe smoking acutely compromises cardiac autonomic function, and does so through exposure to smoke constituents other than nicotine.
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'Sudden collapse' following envenoming by some Australasian elapids is a poorly understood cause of mortality. We have previously shown that Oxyuranus scutellatus venom causes cardiovascular collapse in anaesthetized rats. Prior administration of a sub lethal dose of venom attenuated the response to subsequent administration of higher (lethal) venom doses. ⋯ This relaxation was markedly reduced upon second exposure. Our results indicate that cardiovascular collapse induced by O. scutellatus venom may be due to a combination of release of dilator autacoids and to direct relaxation of vascular smooth muscle involving the cAMP/protein kinase A cascade. Further work will involve identification of the venom component(s) responsible for this action and may provide insight into the management of envenomed patients.
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In 2000s, many synthetic cathinones have received a renewed popularity as designer drugs of abuse, particularly among young people. Despite being marketed as "bath salts" or "plant food" and labeled "not for human consumption", people utilize these substances for their amphetamine or cocaine like effects. Since the time of their appearance in the recreational drug market, in several countries have been signaled numerous confirmed cases of abuse, dependence, severe intoxication and deaths related to the consumption of synthetic cathinones. The aim of this paper is to summarize the clinical, pharmacological and toxicological information about this new class of designer drugs of abuse.
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The illicit marketplace of substances of abuse continually offers for sale legal alternatives to controlled drugs to a large public. In recent years, a new group of designer drugs, the synthetic cathinones, has emerged as a new trend, particularly among young people. ⋯ This substance, sold as bath salts, has caused many serious intoxications and some deaths in several countries. The aim of this paper is summarise the clinical, pharmacological and toxicological information about this new designer drug.
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Oxidative damage of membrane polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) is thought to play a major role in mitochondrial dysfunction related to Parkinson's disease (PD). The toxic products formed by PUFA oxidation inflict further damage on cellular components and contribute to neuronal degeneration. Here, we tested the hypothesis that isotopic reinforcement, by deuteration of the bisallylic sites most susceptible to oxidation in PUFA may provide at least partial protection against nigrostriatal injury in a mouse model of oxidative stress and cell death, the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) model. ⋯ In the substantia nigra, a significant improvement was noted in the number of nigral dopaminergic neurons following MPTP exposure in the D-PUFA (79.5% control) vs. H-PUFA (58.8% control) mice using unbiased stereological cell counting. Taken together, these findings indicate that dietary isotopic reinforcement with D-PUFA partially protects against nigrostriatal damage from oxidative injury elicited by MPTP in mice.