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
