3 - Heavy Metals Flashcards
What are the mechanisms of action of heavy metals?
- Disrupt enzymatic and transport process
- Loss of energy production
- Loss of ion regulation
- Potential carcinogenesis
What does arsenic (As) naturally occur as?
arsenopyrite - most common arsenic containing mineral
What are the effects of arsenic?
- Dermatological
- Vasodilation
- GI effects
- CNS
- Headache
- Coma
- “garlic breath”
- Teratogenic
- Carcinogenic
What is used to treat arsenic poisoning?
- Dimercaprol (BAL - British Anti-Lewisite), dithioglycerol
What is the antidote for antimony?
dimercaprol
What is argyria and what causes it?
Bluish-grayish pigmentation of skin and mucous membranes, permanent - from silver and silver containing compounds
What are the signs of gold toxicity?
- Dermatitis
- Metallic taste in mouth
- Proteinuria
- GI symptoms
- Aplastic anemia
What’s the antidote for gold?
dimercaprol or penicillamine
What are the symptoms of people exposed to mercury?
- Tremors
- Impaired cognitive skills
- Sleep disturbance
With acute exposure:
- Chest pain
- Dyspnea
- Cough
- Hemoptysis
- Pulmonary function impairment
- Interstitial pneumonia
What’s the difference between elemental and inorganic mercury?
- Elemental
- Aquired in food (fish)
- Neurotoxic
- Acute poisoning = pneumonitis
- Inorganic
- Amalgam
- Kidney damage, corrosive to oral cavity
What are the antidotes for mercury?
- dimercaprol or penicillamine
- N-acetyl-D
- L penicillamine
What is the enzyme inhibitor in the production of heme?
Lead (Pb)
What are the antidotes of lead?
Combination - calcium EDTA and dimercaprol
What’s similar to lead poisoning, and inhibits the same processes as lead?
Cadmium
What is the antidote to Iron and Aluminum?
deferoxamine
What’s the antidote to Nickel?
diethylthiocarbamate trihydrate
