B Acad Nat Med Paris
-
B Acad Nat Med Paris · Mar 2014
Review[Tetrahydrocannabinol pharmacokinetics; new synthetic cannabinoids; road safety and cannabis].
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, a drug which is commonly smoked This paper focuses on the pharmacokinetics of THC. The average THC content in cannabis plant material has risen by a factor offour over the past 20 years, from 4% to 16%. This increase has important implications not only for the pharmacokinetics but also for the pharmacology of THC The mean bioavailability of THC in smoked cannabis is about 25%. ⋯ Since 2009, synthetic cannabinoids have emerged on the illicit drug market. These substances act on the same CB1 receptors as THC, but with higher afinity. Their pharmacokinetics differs from that of THC, as they are metabolized into multiple derivatives, most of which are more active than THC itself.
-
B Acad Nat Med Paris · Mar 2014
Biography Historical Article[Anomalous aortic origin of coronary arteries: a frequent and curable cause of sudden death].
Anomalous aortic origin of coronary arteries is a congenital heart defect in which one coronary artery arises from the opposite sinus (the left coronary artery from the right coronary sinus, or the right coronary artery from the left sinus). The initial segment of the abnormal artery courses between the great arteries and is usually located within the aortic wall. These anomalies are far from rare, affecting 0.1% to 0.3% of the population, and carry a high risk of sudden cardiac death. ⋯ Surgical treatment is relatively safe and provides satisfactory results, most patients having no residual myocardial ischemia under stress. Surgery is recommended for all patients with an anomalous left coronary artery, regardless of symptom status, as well as for symptomatic patients with an anomalous right coronary artery (aborted sudden death, symptoms under stress, myocardial ischemia under stress). Because of the incidence and severity of these anomalies, careful echocardiographic evaluation should be performed routinely, at least in young athletes.