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Heart Fail Rev 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi, 156124, Pisa, Italy.

The use of cocaine constitutes a major health problem. Cocaine use is associated with acute and chronic complications that might involve any system, the most common being the cardiovascular system. The precise incidence of cocaine-induced cardiomyopathy remains mysterious and probably underreported. Read More

Chemosphere 2020 Aug 1;253:126635. Epub 2020 Apr 1.

College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China. Electronic address:

Carbofuran, a carbamate pesticide, is widely used in developing countries to manage insect pests. Studies have found that carbofuran posed potential risks for the neurotransmitter systems of non-target species, we speculated that these disruptive effects on the neurotransmitter systems could trigger anxiety-like behaviors. In this study, female zebrafish were exposed to environmental levels (5, 50, and 500 μg/L) of carbofuran for 48 h to evaluate the effects of carbofuran on anxiety-like behaviors. Read More

Front Neurosci 2020 26;14:78. Epub 2020 Feb 26.

Department of Forensic Toxicology, Institute of Forensic Research, Kraków, Poland.

Recently, a new class of psychedelic compounds named NBOMe (or 25X-NBOMe) has appeared on the illegal drug market. NBOMes are analogs of the 2C family of phenethylamine drugs, originally synthesized by Alexander Shulgin, that contain a -(2-methoxy)benzyl substituent. The most frequently reported drugs from this group are 25I-NBOMe, 25B-NBOMe, and 25C-NBOMe. Read More

Bratisl Lek Listy 2020 ;121(3):225-229

Aim: Nicotine at high concentrations induces apoptosis in trophoblastic cells through induction of cell cytotoxicity and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Methamphetamine in low dose has pharmaceutical properties. It seems that this components in low dose can protect the trophoblastic cells from nicotine-induced cell death. Read More

Water Res 2020 May 4;174:115585. Epub 2020 Feb 4.

Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, PR China. Electronic address:

Ketamine (KET) and methamphetamine (METH) have been recognized as emerging contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. This paper aimed to investigate the environmental behaviour, including the degradation, distribution, and bioaccumulation, of METH, KET, and their main metabolites (amphetamine (AMP) and norketamine (NorKET)). The changes in acute toxicity in the aqueous phase and in the bacterial community in sediment were determined to assess the associated eco-risk of the drug exposure. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020 03 18;117(9):4642-4652. Epub 2020 Feb 18.

Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211;

Placental trophoblast cells are potentially at risk from circulating endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA). To understand how BPA and the reputedly more inert bisphenol S (BPS) affect the placenta, C57BL6J mouse dams were fed 200 μg/kg body weight BPA or BPS daily for 2 wk and then bred. They continued to receive these chemicals until embryonic day 12. Read More

Environ Pollut 2020 Apr 9;259:113957. Epub 2020 Jan 9.

College of Forestry, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, PR China. Electronic address:

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an emerging organic pollutant, widely distributed in environment. Plants can uptake and metabolize BPA, but BPA accumulation induces phytotoxicity. In this study, we administered dopamine, a kind of catecholamines with strong antioxidative potential, to unveil its role in cucumber tolerance to BPA stress. Read More

Chem Biol Interact 2020 Feb 30;318:108970. Epub 2020 Jan 30.

Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar, UP, India.

Cardiovascular disorders constitute the principal cause of deaths worldwide and will continue as the major disease-burden by the year 2060. A significant proportion of heart failures occur because of use and misuse of drugs and most of the investigational agents fail to achieve any clinical relevance. Here, we investigated rosuvastatin and retinoic acid for their "pharmacological pleiotropy" against high dose β-adrenergic agonist (isoproterenol)-induced acute myocardial insult. Read More

Chemosphere 2020 Mar 22;243:125416. Epub 2019 Nov 22.

Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, UF Genetics Institute, Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. Electronic address:

Esfenvalerate is a pyrethroid insecticide used widely for agricultural and residential applications. This insecticide has been detected in aquatic environments at concentrations that can induce sub-lethal effects in organisms. In this study, zebrafish embryos were used to examine the effects of environmentally-relevant concentrations of esfenvalerate on development and behavior. Read More

An Bras Dermatol 2020 Jan - Feb;95(1):82-90. Epub 2019 Dec 18.

Dermatology Service, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

Local anesthetics are essential medications for the conduction of dermatological procedures. They stop the depolarization of nerve fibers and are divided into two main categories, the amide and ester types. Systemic toxicity with reflex on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems is their most feared adverse reactions, and the anaphylactic reaction is the most concerning one. Read More

Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl 2020 Mar 18;108:110459. Epub 2019 Nov 18.

Laboratory of Dendrimers and Nano-Biopolymers, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran; Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology (RCPN), Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran. Electronic address:

In this work, a new pH-responsive nanohybrid carrier was prepared with chelating ZnO-dopamine (Zn-d) on the surface of graphene oxide. Doxorubicin (DOX) as a model drug was loaded on the resulted nanohybrid. The characteristics of Zn-d-rGO nanohybrid (NH) determined using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), UV-Visible spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), EDX and AFM. Read More

J Photochem Photobiol B 2020 Jan 30;203:111770. Epub 2019 Dec 30.

Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826004, Jharkhand, India. Electronic address:

Dopamine (DA) is a monoamine neurotransmitter of phenethylamine and catecholamine families, which is present in the central nervous system (CNS) and its periphery. Since DA is associated with several functions in the brain and body (motivational salience, reward, motor control, paracrine messenger, etc.), any imbalance in the DA level can trigger several neurodegenerative and other diseases. Read More

Carbohydr Polym 2020 Mar 21;231:115652. Epub 2019 Nov 21.

Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, 621900, Mianyang, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu, Higher Education Institutions, 215123, Suzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Sichuan Province, 621999, Mianyang, PR China. Electronic address:

Hyaluronan (HA) have been widely used as the ideal biomaterials. It is important to understand their degradation and distribution for better optimization. From a new aspect of using radiotracers, we designed the HA-tyramine-bisphosphonate derivative for dual-labelling with two radionuclides (Tc and I) simultaneously for in vitro and in vivo tracking. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2020 Mar 16;190:110085. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. Electronic address:

This study investigated the effects of paclobutrazol and profenofos on six neurotransmitters and their metabolites involving in cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurotransmission systems in mouse. The results revealed that profenofos decreased the levels of 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) and normetanephrine (MNE), and increased the level of dopamine (DA) in the mice after four weeks of exposure. The turnovers of serotonergic neurotransmission system (5-HIAA/5-HT) and noradrenergic neurotransmission system (MNE/NE) showed a decline under exposure of profenofos. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Dec 9;20(24). Epub 2019 Dec 9.

College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an abundant contaminant found in aquatic environments. While a large number of toxicological studies have investigated the effects of BPA, the potential effects of BPA exposure on fish brain have rarely been studied. To understand how BPA impacts goldfish brains, we performed a transcriptome analysis of goldfish brains that had been exposed to 50 μg L and 0 μg L BPA for 30 days. Read More

Oxid Med Cell Longev 2019 19;2019:7121763. Epub 2019 Nov 19.

Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

In this study, we investigated whether CD47 deficiency attenuates isoproterenol- (ISO-) induced cardiac remodeling in mice. Cardiac remodeling was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p. Read More

J Photochem Photobiol B 2020 Jan 13;202:111705. Epub 2019 Nov 13.

Emergency Department, Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning 116027 China. Electronic address:

The procurance of gold nanoparticles in the plant extracts is an excellent way to attain nanomaterials natural and eco-friendly nanomaterials. The Dehydrated roots of Chinese Euphorbia fischeriana flowering plant are called "Lang-Du". In this study, the retrieving of gold nanoparticles from Euphorbia fischeriana root was amalgamated by standard procedure. Read More

Prehosp Disaster Med 2020 Feb 6;35(1):41-45. Epub 2019 Dec 6.

Edith Cowan University, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia.

Introduction: Serotonin and sympathomimetic toxicity (SST) after ingestion of amphetamine-based drugs can lead to severe morbidity and death. There have been evaluations of the safety and efficacy of on-site treatment protocols for SST at music festivals.

Problem: The study aimed to examine the safety and efficacy of treating patients with SST on-site at a music festival using a protocol adapted from hospital-based treatment of SST. Read More

Hum Exp Toxicol 2020 Feb 4;39(2):117-126. Epub 2019 Dec 4.

Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India.

Icariin, a major component of species, was evaluated using isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiotoxicity in Wistar rats. Rats were treated with icariin at the doses of 1, 5, and 10 mg kg orally for 15 days. Afterward, rats were administered with ISO (85 mg kg, subcutaneous) on 14th and 15th day to produce cardiac injury. Read More

Toxicol Lett 2020 Feb 26;319:213-224. Epub 2019 Nov 26.

School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. Electronic address:

The upregulated α-synuclein (α-syn) and Tau co-occur in methamphetamine (METH) abusers' brains. Here, we designed experiments mainly to investigate whether α-syn and Tau interact in METH exposure. We detected the expression of α-syn, total Tau, and phosphorylation of Tau at Serine 396 (pSer396 Tau) under in vitro and in vivo conditions after METH exposure to determine the co-occurrence of α-syn and Tau. Read More

Environ Pollut 2020 Feb 14;257:113624. Epub 2019 Nov 14.

Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida Genetics Institute, Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. Electronic address:

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is one of the most frequently used synthetic phenolic antioxidants added to food and consumer products such as plastics as a preservative. Due to its high production volume, BHT has been detected in aquatic environments, raising concerns about sub-lethal toxicity. However, there are limited toxicological data for BHT, especially in fish. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 11 23;16(23). Epub 2019 Nov 23.

College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

Contamination of residential homes with methamphetamine is an emerging issue of significant concern to public health. Cooking or smoking methamphetamine in a residential property contaminates the house, furnishings and personal possessions within it, with subsequent exposure through ingestion, dermal absorption and/or inhalation causing adverse health effects. Current guidelines identifying levels of methamphetamine contamination that require remediation vary between countries. Read More

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2020 Jan 10;185:110635. Epub 2019 Nov 10.

Department of Cardiology, Central Hospital of Wuhan, Affiliated to Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Province, 4320000, China. Electronic address:

Wogonin, one of the main active ingredients of Scutellaria radix, is a kind of flavonoid compound. In the present study, we report that wogonin nanoparticles (Wog np) protect Isoproterenol (ISO) induced Myocardial Infarction (MI) rats. Nanoparticles of sizes less than 200 nm with spherical shape were prepared using Polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) and Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) respectively as polymer and stabilizer. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2020 Jan 15;188:109909. Epub 2019 Nov 15.

Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China. Electronic address:

MnO nanoparticles (NPs) are used increasingly in various fields due to their excellent physiochemical properties. Previous studies have documented that Mn-based nanomaterials resulted in excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and dopamine (DA) reduction both in vivo and in vitro experiments. However, little is known about the mechanism of ROS production and DA decrease induced by Mn-based nanomaterials. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2020 Mar 15;249:112404. Epub 2019 Nov 15.

Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, PR China. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cardiac fibrosis is a common characteristic of many cardiac diseases. Our previous results showed that TRPM7 channel played an important role in the fibrosis process. MicroRNA-135a was reported to get involved in the fibrotic process. Read More

Pharmacol Rep 2019 Dec 16;71(6):1289-1292. Epub 2019 Aug 16.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Methylphenidate (Ritalin®) is a psychostimulant used chronically to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Methylphenidate acts by preventing the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine, resulting in an increase in these neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft. Excess dopamine can be autoxidized to a quinone that may lead to oxidative stress. Read More

Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 2020 Feb 4;78(2):230-244. Epub 2019 Nov 4.

Laboratory for Sensory Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA.

In flowing environments, the degree of turbulent flow determines the movement and distribution of chemicals. Variation in flow alters the patchiness of toxicant plumes within a stream ecosystem. This patchiness translates into variability in exposure pulses for organisms encountering the toxic plume. Read More

Yakugaku Zasshi 2019 ;139(11):1417-1425

Oriental Medicine Research Center, Kitasato University.

Ephedra Herb is defined in the 17th edition of the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) as the terrestrial stem of Ephedra sinica Stapf., Ephedra intermedia Schrenk et C.A. Read More

Anal Chim Acta 2019 Dec 23;1091:40-49. Epub 2019 Aug 23.

Department of Chemistry, University of Kurdistan, 66177-15175, Sanandaj, Iran; University of Western Ontario, N6A 5B7, London, Ontario, Canada; Research Center for Nanotechnology, University of Kurdistan, 66177-15175, Sanandaj, Iran. Electronic address:

We report here simple synthetic method for preparing polymer dots (Pdots) via hydrothermal treatment of organic dye (neutral red), urea and trisodium citrate. The prepared Pdots with enhanced quantum yield (quantum yield: 30.2%) was used as a selective and sensitive probe for fluorescent sensing of dopamine (DA) with high selectivity and sensitivity. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Oct 28;20(21). Epub 2019 Oct 28.

Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.

α-Synuclein is an abundant neuronal protein that accumulates in insoluble inclusions in Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. Fatty acids partially regulate α-Synuclein accumulation, and mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons highly express fatty acid-binding protein 3 (FABP3). We previously demonstrated that FABP3 knockout mice show decreased α-Synuclein oligomerization and neuronal degeneration of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons . Read More

Pharmacol Rep 2019 Dec 9;71(6):1140-1146. Epub 2019 Jul 9.

Department of Neurochemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland.

Background: 1-Methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1MeTIQ) demonstrates significant neuroprotective activity. It can interact with agonistic conformation of dopamine (DA) receptors. 1MeTIQ inhibits the formation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid as well as production of free radicals and shifts DA catabolism toward COMT-dependent O-methylation. Read More

Toxicol In Vitro 2020 Feb 16;62:104668. Epub 2019 Oct 16.

Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, PR China. Electronic address:

Methamphetamine (MA) has a high uptake in lung, but the precise mechanism of MA-induced lung toxicity remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of MA abuse in remodeling of pulmonary arteries and to explore the possible correlation of the association of the remodeling with the redox imbalance in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group and MA group for the experimental study. Read More

Toxicology 2019 12 9;428:152305. Epub 2019 Oct 9.

Laboratory for Corneal Tissue Engineering, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, PR China. Electronic address:

In the present study, the toxicity of phenylephrine, a selective α1-adrenergic receptor agonist, in corneal epithelial cells and its underlying mechanisms were investigated using an in vitro model of human corneal epithelial cells (HCEPCs) and an in vivo model of New Zealand white rabbit corneas. The HCEPCs treated with phenylephrine at concentrations from 10% to 0.078125% displayed abnormal morphology, decline of cell viability and elevation of plasma membrane permeability time- and dose-dependently. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2020 Jan 8;247:112284. Epub 2019 Oct 8.

Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High Technology Research of TCM Formulae, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Herb pair, the most fundamental and simplest form of herb compatibility, serves as the basic building block of traditional Chinese medicine formulae. The Danshen-Honghua herb pair (DH), composed of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Danshen in Chinese) and Carthami Flos (Honghua in Chinese), has remarkable clinical efficacy to cure cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. This study was designed to investigate the pharmacodynamics of DH in comparison with single herbs and pharmacokinetics of DH relative to Danshen in acute myocardial ischemic injury. Read More

Int J Biol Sci 2019 7;15(11):2484-2496. Epub 2019 Sep 7.

Department of Cardiology, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Overactivation of β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) can improve cardiac function temporarily but promotes the development and mortality of heart failure (HF) in the long run. CircRNA, a member of noncoding RNAs, can tolerate digestion of exonuclease and be a chronic stimulator to cell. But the relationship of circRNA with HF remains a puzzle and needs to be explored. Read More

N Z Med J 2019 09 20;132(1502):55-66. Epub 2019 Sep 20.

Department of Cardiology, Middlemore Hospital, Auckland.

Background: Methamphetamine-associated cardiomyopathy (MAC) is increasingly recognised as a serious consequence of chronic metamphetamine use. Evidence to guide management and prognostication of patients with MAC compared to other cardiomyopathies remain limited.

Methods: Clinical characteristics, in-hospital and post-discharge outcomes were collected in consecutive MAC patients at Middlemore Hospital from 2006-2018, and compared with a 1:1 age-range matched cohort with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NCM). Read More

Aquat Toxicol 2019 Nov 19;216:105312. Epub 2019 Sep 19.

Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.

Many coastal systems have been experiencing the effects of non-chemical and chemical anthropological stressors through respective increases in surface water temperatures and rainstorm-derived runoff events of pyrethroid pesticide movement into waterways such as the San Francisco Bay-Delta. Salmonid populations in the Bay-Delta have been dramatically declining in recent decades. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the interactive effects of bifenthrin, a pyrethroid insecticide, and increasing water temperatures on targeted neuroendocrine and behavioral responses in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) parr (10- month post-hatch). Read More

Eur J Med Chem 2019 Dec 4;183:111674. Epub 2019 Sep 4.

Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy.

Polypharmacology approaches may help the discovery of pharmacological tools for the study or the potential treatment of complex and multifactorial diseases as well as for addictions and also smoke cessation. In this frame, following our interest in the development of molecules able to modulate either the endocannabinoid or the dopaminergic system, and given the multiple and reciprocal interconnections between them, we decided to merge the pharmacophoric elements of some of our early leads for identifying new molecules as tools able to modulate both systems. We herein describe the synthesis and biological characterization of compounds 5a-j inspired by the structure of our potent and selective fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors (3a-c) and ligands of dopamine D or D receptor subtypes (4a,b). Read More

Klin Padiatr 2019 Sep 10;231(5):262-268. Epub 2019 Sep 10.

Department of Neuropediatrics, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig.

Objective: The consumption of illegal substances during pregnancy is an increasing social and medical issue. Main substances of prenatal drug exposure are beside tehtrahydrocannabinol (THC), opioids and methamphetamine. The effect of these substances on the long-term development of children remains uncertain. Read More

Bull Exp Biol Med 2019 Aug 6;167(4):460-463. Epub 2019 Sep 6.

V. V. Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology, Moscow, Russia.

Anti-ischemic activity of N1-(2,3,4-trimethoxybenzyl)-N2-{2-[(2,3,4-trimethoxybenzyl)amino] ethyl}-1,2-ethanediamine (ALM-802) based on the structure of standard p-FOX inhibitors trimetazidine and ranolazine was studied on the model of endocardial ischemia in intact rats and animals with endothelial dysfunction. Acute endocardial myocardial ischemia was caused by infusion of isoproterenol (20 μg/kg/min intravenously). Endothelial dysfunction in rats was modeled by inducing hyperhomocysteinemia (3 g/kg methionine intragastrically one a day over 7 days). Read More

Mol Neurodegener 2019 08 20;14(1):35. Epub 2019 Aug 20.

Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

A full understanding of Parkinson's Disease etiopathogenesis and of the causes of the preferential vulnerability of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons is still an unsolved puzzle. A multiple-hit hypothesis has been proposed, which may explain the convergence of familial, environmental and idiopathic forms of the disease. Among the various determinants of the degeneration of the neurons in Substantia Nigra pars compacta, in this review we will focus on the endotoxicity associated to dopamine dyshomeostasis. Read More

J Med Toxicol 2020 Jan 3;16(1):67-70. Epub 2019 Sep 3.

Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.

Introduction: 3-Hydroxyphencyclidine (3-HO-PCP) is a new psychoactive substance (NPS) and a hydroxy derivative of phencyclidine (PCP), and N-ethylhexedrone (Hexen) is a synthetic cathinone. We describe an analytically confirmed case of acute toxicity related to the use of both 3-hydroxyphencyclidine and N-ethylhexedrone.

Case Report: A 56-year-old male was brought to the Emergency Department by ambulance with hyperthermia (39. Read More

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2019 Nov 3;103(5):710-716. Epub 2019 Sep 3.

Natural and Built Environments Research Centre, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia.

The manufacturing and consumption of drugs of addiction has increased globally and their widespread occurrence in the environment is an emerging concern. This study evaluated the phytotoxicity of three compounds: methamphetamine, codeine and morphine; commonly reported in Australian urban water, to the aquatic plant Lemna minor under controlled conditions. L. Read More

Toxicology 2019 10 31;426:152285. Epub 2019 Aug 31.

Department of Functional Biology and Health Science, University of Vigo, Spain.

Clothianidin (CLO) is a neonicotinoid insecticide that produces toxic effects in experimental animals and humans. These effects are associated primarily to its action as a nicotinic agonist, acting on insect and vertebrate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), but little is known about the mechanisms of action on the mammalian nervous system. In the rat striatum, CLO induces increases in the dopamine overflow in a concentration-dependent manner. Read More

J Neurochem 2019 12 15;151(6):749-763. Epub 2019 Oct 15.

Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

A significant comorbidity exists between alcohol and methamphetamine (Meth) abuse but the neurochemical consequences of this co-abuse are unknown. Alcohol and Meth independently and differentially affect glutamatergic transmission but the unique effects of their serial exposure on glutamate signaling in mediating damage to dopamine neurons are unknown. Sprague-Dawley rats had intermittent voluntary access to 10% ethanol (EtOH) every other day and water over 28 days and were then administered a binge injection regimen of Meth or saline. Read More

Pharmacol Res Perspect 2019 10 27;7(5):e00516. Epub 2019 Aug 27.

Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Rancho Cucamonga CA USA.

Epinephrine HFA (Primatene Mist) is a newly formulated asthma metered dose inhaler developed to replace the previous Primatene Mist CFC. The formulation of Epinephrine HFA contains thymol, a substance recognized to be safe by the FDA. Although the content of thymol contained in Epinephrine HFA is much lower compared to many common foods and medications available, there are no known nonclinical data about the of thymol through inhalation. Read More

Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2019 Oct 29;97(10):989-998. Epub 2019 Aug 29.

Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, P.O. Box 95, Sfax 3052, Tunisia.

The current study was carried out to evaluate the effect of pretreatment and co-treatment with a newly synthesized coumarin hydrazone, ()-4-hydroxy-N'-(1-(3-oxo-3H-benzo[f]chromen-2-yl)ethylidene)benzohydrazide (hereinafter EK6), against isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats. Changes in biochemistry, cardiac biomarkers, electrocardiography, and histopathology after treatment with EK6 or acenocoumarol (Sintrom) were studied. Animals were randomly divided into 4 groups: vehicle control (C), isoproterenol + Sintrom (ISO + Sin), isoproterenol + EK6 (ISO + EK6), and isoproterenol (ISO). Read More

Circ Res 2019 09 28;125(8):728-743. Epub 2019 Aug 28.

From the Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China (Y.C., C.X., J.Y., X.Z., S.J., X.Q., C.Z., R.L., L.W., Y.L., L.L., M.Z.).

The constrained mitochondria in cardiomyocytes communicate with each other, through mitochondrial kissing or nanotunneling, forming a dynamically continuous network to share content and transfer signals. However, the molecular mechanism of cardiac inter-mitochondrial communication is unclear. To determine the molecular mechanism underlying the robust inter-mitochondrial communication and its pathophysiological relevance in the heart. Read More

Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2019 Dec 23;15(4):598-602. Epub 2019 Aug 23.

Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, 276 Portage Street #200, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007, USA.

In this report, a pediatric case of bowel obstruction with sepsis complicated by methamphetamine toxicity is described. The decedent, an eleven-year-old female with a clinical history of pica, was found unresponsive in her home and pronounced dead following unsuccessful resuscitative efforts. Radiologic imaging showed multiple radio-opaque foreign objects in the stomach and bowel. Read More

Hum Psychopharmacol 2019 09 22;34(5):e2710. Epub 2019 Aug 22.

UMass Memorial Health Care, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Introduction: Methamphetamine associated psychosis (MAP) represents a mental disorder induced by chronic methamphetamine use in a subset of users. The prevalence of the disorder has increased in several countries in Europe and Asia where methamphetamine use has increased. MAP remains difficult to distinguish from primary psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia, creating complications in prescribing treatment plans to patients. Read More