Human & experimental toxicology
-
Ketamine is one of the common recreational drugs used in rave parties and it is frequently taken with alcohol. In spite of this, the potential toxicity of ketamine in liver and kidney has not been fully documented. In this study, ICR mice were treated for periods of 6, 16 and 28 weeks with 30 mg/kg ketamine injected daily intraperitoneally, and together with alcohol (0.5 ml of 10% alcohol for each mouse) during the last 4 weeks of the treatment periods. ⋯ Proteinuria was confirmed in the 67% of the ketamine-treated animals after 28 weeks of treatment. It was apparent that ketamine when taken chronically (16 weeks of treatment and thereafter) affected both liver and kidney definitively. The damages in both liver and kidney of these mice were more severe when the animals were treated with both ketamine and alcohol.
-
Levosimendan (Levo) is an inodilator improving cardiac output (CO) and reducing afterload in heart failure. Previously, we reported that Levo improved CO but not blood pressure (BP) in a rodent model of verapamil poisoning. We theorised that Levo-induced vasodilation should not influence BP to a similar degree in metoprolol poisoning. ⋯ Levo did not improve MAP but moderately improved CO compared to control in this model of metoprolol poisoning. The response was similar to that reported previously in verapamil-poisoned rats. The improvement in MAP seen with epinephrine was most likely vasoconstriction mediated.