Plant Toxins Introduction (Packet 8)

What are the two factors that determine whether something is poison or medicine?

intent & dose

Does natural means something is safe?

no

What are the effects caused by a dose that is too low called?

subtherapeutic

What is the response to the correct dose of a medicine called?

therapeutic

What are the effects of a too-high dose of something called?

supra-therapeutic

What are distinct patterns of signs and symptoms that result from poisoning or exposure to toxic substances?

toxidromes

What are the 5 types of toxidromes?

sympathomimetric, anticholinergic, hallucinogenic, opioid, cholinergic

What do sympathomimetics do?

hypervigilance & paranoia

Sympathomimetics increase what in the body?

increased temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure

What do sympathomimetics cause physically?

moist skin & dilated pupils

What are two examples of sympathomimetics?

cocaine and ephedrine

Why were sympathomimetics banned?

they were being abused

What do anticholinergics do?

hypervigilance, hallucinations, mumbling speech

What do anticholinergics do to the inside of the body?

increased temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate, normal or increased blood pressure

What do anticholinergics cause physically?

dry and flushed skin, dilated pupils, dry mucus membranes, decreased bowel mobility

What do hallucinogenics do?

cause hallucinations and visual distortions

What do hallucinogens do to the inside of the body?

normal or increased temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure

What do hallucinogens cause physically?

moist or dry skin, dilated pupils

What do opioids cause?

sedation, coma

What do opioids cause inside the body?

decreased to normal temp, heart rate, and blood pressure, and respiratory rate

What do opioids cause physically?

moist or dry skin & pinpoint pupils

What do cholinergics cause?

sedation and confusion

What do colinergics cause internally?

normal temperature, low heart rate, decreased or increased respiratory rate, decreased or normal blood pressure

What do cholinergics cause physically?

moist skin, constricted pupils

What are the four signs of a cholinergic overdose?

urination, defecation, gi distress, emisis

What were the 4 cholinergics discussed in class?

nicotine, organophosphate, insectasides, pilocarpine

What are the 5 psychoactives discussed in class?

khat, kava, ebena snuff, ayahuasca, peyote

Where is khat commonly used by business men after meetings & where 30-40% of their water supply?

Yemen

What class of drug is Khat classified as in the US?

Schedule 1

What are the characteristics of Schedule 1 drugs?

no current medical use in the Us, addictive, lacks safety of use standards

Kava comes from what plant root?

piper methysticum

What does Kava do?

causes feelings of peace and acts as a mild pain reliever

Ebena snuff is a mixture of plants involved in what?

healing ceremonies

What is believed to happen when people use ebena snuff?

leave their body to talk with the happy spirits to heal people

How is ebena snuff made?

syrup is made from the plant, dry it, and make it into powder

Ayahuasca is called what in equador?

vine of the soul

What are the two plants in Ayahuasca?

banisteripsis caapi, psychotria viridis

The leaves of the psychotria viridis have dmt, but has to be paired with banisteriopsis caapi. Why?

the body cannot break it down on its own

Ayahuasca indusces what and is used at healing ceremonies?

nausea & vomiting

What is the scientific name of peyote?

lophophora williasii

Why were the Spanish against peyote?

because it gave the natives strength and they wanted to colonize

In the Umatac Village there was an illness called the Guam illness where there was a replaement of brain tissues with piles of ___ ___.

tau proteins

About how much of the brain tissue was replaced in the Guam illness?

50%

What did they find out was the cause of the Guam illness?

they were eating flying foxes that had eaten cycat seeds which contained BMAA

What reduces the effects of BMAA?

serine