Muscoskeletal System Flashcards
What does the term “curare” refer to?
Various toxic plant mixtures used as arrow poisons by indigenous groups in South America
Who generally prepares curare?
The male elders of the tribe
How is the poison prepared?
The inner stem bark is scraped away and filtered through a sieve to collect the concentrate, which is rolled on dart tips and dried
Which plant families provide the poison?
Loganiaceae and menipsermaceae
What is the loganiaceae poison?
the indole alkaloid toxiferine
What is the menipsermaceae poison?
isoquinoline alkaloids like tubocurarine
What does it mean to say the compounds are only active parenterally?
They must be administered by injection, so the game killed by the poison darts can be eaten.
What are the symptoms of curare poison?
Muscle paralysis that moves from face to neck, to stomach and diaphragm. Death occurs from respiratory arrest within 5 minutes
Who collected samples to investigate the potential of curare as a surgical muscle relaxant?
Richard Gill
What company did Richard Gill supply curare to?
Squibb and Sons
Where was most of Gill’s supply from?
Ecuador and peru (inhabited by Achuar people)
Who first demonstrated the effectiveness of curare as a skeletal muscle relaxant during surgery?
Harold Griffith
How do the semi-synthetic curare agents work?
They are neuromuscular blocking agents that compete with acetylcholine to prevent the development of nerve action potential, resulting in muscle relaxation and paralysis
What neurotoxin does monkshood contain?
aconitine
Where was aconite/monkshood used as arrow poisons?
Asia, China, India, and Europe, and Alaska
