Toxicology 2 Flashcards
Bacterial neurotoxins
Tetanus (C. Tetani)
Botulism (C. Botulinum)
Mechanism of botulism
Toxin decreases acetylcholine release
Causes muscle paralysis & weakness
Differentials include other agents causing muscle weakness
Difficult to confirm diagnosis
Mechanism of tetanus
Decreases GABA causing muscle stiffness
Differential is strychnine
Treat with GABA agonist, time
Prevent with tetanus toxoid
Toxic mushrooms
Misc. GI
Hydrazines
Isoxazoles
Muscadine
Psilocybin
Amatoxins
Hydrazines
Decreased GABA lead to CNS stimulation, not a common problem.
Isoxazoles
Ibotenic acid & muscimol in Amanita muscaria causes CNS effect that mimic tremorgans. Almost as common as GI mushroom problems
Muscarine
Stimulate muscarinic parasymapthomimetic receptors; does not inhibit AChE
Psilocybe
Cause hallucinations & possible seizures but no coma; relatively rare toxicosis
Source of amintoxins
Death angel - 95% of mushroom fatalities
Grow under oak, birch, pine trees “fishy odor”
Toxicity of amatoxins
Cyclopeptide toxins - amatoxins
Rapidly absorbed, bioavailability greater in dogs
1-2 mushrooms will kill a dog
Enterohepatic recirculating - mostly excreted in urine
Not destroyed by heat, freezing or stomach acidity
Mechanism of action of amatoxins
Inhibits protein synthesis - cell death, especially hepatocytes
Clinical signs of amatoxins
GI signs delayed 6-24 hours, appear
Anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, colic
Hepatic signs around 36-48 hours
Renal failure - multi-organ failure
Diagnosis and treatment of amatoxins
Liver lesions: massive hepatic & acute renal necrosis
Amatoxin detection in urine, serum, liver, kidney or GIT
- seen in urine & serum before clinical signs appear
GI signs for mushroom toxicosis
Chlorophyllum molybdities
- lawns & grow fairy rings, large caps
Clinical signs for gi mushrooms
Similar to gastroenteritis
Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain
Good prognosis
Chlorophyllum molybdites
Produce fairy rings
Green spores mature specimens, late summer, early fall
Most common cause of mushroom poisoning in NA
Source of toxin for hydrazines
Gyomitra sp (false morel)
Under conifers & aspen in spring
Due to gyomitrin
Mechanism of hydrazines
Direct GI irritant
Gyomitrin hydrolized in GI tract - monomethylhydrazine (MMH) - decreased active form of Vit b6 - decreased GABA synesthesia and increased glutamic acid = increased CNS activity /seizures
Can cause oxidative damage to RBC, liver & kidney
Clinical signs of hydrazines
GI, CNS, hematopoietic, hepatic, renal
<3 onset, 1-2 days
Vomiting, depression/lethargy
Clonic-tonic seizures, coma
Methemoglobinemia, icterus