Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.1.1.7 (acetylcholinesterase)
 28,390 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Pyridostigmine bromide, a reversible inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), is effectively used as a pre-treatment to organophosphate intoxication. Previous studies have shown that an oral dose of 30 mg twice a day produces a sufficient inhibition of the enzyme activity (20-40%) without causing any significant adverse effect. During the Persian Gulf war pyridostigmine was taken for the first time under a chemical warfare threat. We searched for symptoms and complaints that may be related to the medication. Our survey included 213 soldiers who completed a questionnaire regarding possible symptoms and their severity. AChE inhibition level was compared between groups of soldiers with and without complaints. The most frequent symptoms were nonspecific and included dry mouth, general malaise, fatigue and weakness. Typical effects, such as nausea, abdominal pain, frequent urination and rhinorrhea, were infrequent. The severity of the symptoms was generally mild. The symptoms appeared around 1.6 h after taking the medication and recurred after each intake. No correlation was found between levels of cholinesterase and type or severity of complaints. Anxiety, which accompanies wartime, may have contributed to the appearance of significant symptoms. Further investigations concerning the effects of pyridostigmine ingestion under stressful conditions are warranted.
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PMID:Survey of symptoms following intake of pyridostigmine during the Persian Gulf war. 175 41

Healthy camels were experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi and then treated with isometamidium chloride (samorin) at single intravenous doses of 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg. Five to 10 min after the drug administration, the camels at both dosages showed lacrimation, salivation, trembling, restlessness, frequent urination and defecation, followed by diarrhea. Moreover, the camels at the higher dose showed an unsteady gait for about an hour with hindleg weakness and walking backward. The animals fell to the ground, laid on their sides, and bent their necks into an "S" shaped curve. Three hours after the drug administration all the animals stood up and remained quiet. The treatment increased the concentration of plasma ammonia and total protein. No significant change was found in the plasma bilirubin concentration. Two hours after treatment, the activity of plasma cholinesterase was significantly reduced. The enzyme activity recovered 24 h after drug administration, but was still significantly below the control value. The treatment did not produce statistically significant changes in the hemogram of the infected camels. The results suggest that the drug should not be used clinically against T evansi infection due to its low margin of safety. If the drug is to be used at all in camels, pretreatment with an anticholinergic agent might be considered.
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PMID:Some observations on the toxicosis of isometamidium chloride (samorin) in camels. 377 85