Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0026827 (hypotonia)
 5,860 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Calcium channel inhibitors have been extensively used to treat arterial hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and supraventricular rhythm irregularities. The poisonings by that category of drugs are extremely dangerous, particularly when accompanied by intoxication with other drugs affecting the circulatory function. This paper reports 3 cases of poisonings with calcium channel inhibitors (verapamil and diltiazem) in combination with angiotensin convertase inhibitors and nonselective beta-adrenolytics. Circulatory insufficiency and cardiac rhythm abnormalities were noted in all reported cases, in one in the form of ventricular bigeminy and two episodes of ventricular fibrillation, while in the two other cases in the form of 1 degree atrioventricular block. The persisting hypotonia combined with heart rhythm disturbances could not be prevented by the typical conservative treatment involving intravenous administration of infusion fluids, calcium formulations, catecholamines and atropin. The application of 4-amino-pyridine (Pymadin) caused that arterial tension and heart rate were higher, and the heart rhythm disturbances disappeared. The reported cases suggest a beneficial effect of 4-aminopyridine used to treat cases of poisonings by calcium channel inhibitors; however, up to the present time, no detailed procedures have been determined for 4-aminopyridine administration in cases like those reported above. 4-aminopyridine has not been included in the list of the antidotes approved by the WHO and, therefore, broader tests and more clinical observations are required to confirm its therapeutic value.
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PMID:[The application of 4-aminopyridine in calcium channel inhibitors acute poisoning]. 1772 89

Carbon monoxide still remains one of the most common causes of fatal poisonings. Mechanisms of carbon monoxide toxic effects are complex and lead to hypoxia of body tissues. The most sensitive to tissue hypoxia are: the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system.The most characteristic cardiac symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are: stenocardial symptoms, hypotonia, myocardial dysfunction and arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, bradycardia). Carbon monoxide connects with high affinity to metallo-proteins mainly to hemoglobin impairing oxygen transport in the body and to myoglobin, interfering with its function as oxygen reservoir among others in myocardium. Connecting to cytochrome oxidase in mitochondria it blocks the chain of electron transport which results in impairment of cellural respiration and formation of free radicals. Carbon monoxide has also relaxation effect against the smooth muscles of blood vessels, and thrombogenic effect. It is particularly adverse in patients with ischemic heart disease. In case of carbon monoxide poisoning one should always search for features of myocardial injury- as far as screening is concerned the most important ones are ECG and screening for cardiac troponin. Depending on the course of poisoning other laboratory (e.g. BNP) or imaging (echo-cardiography. scintiscanning, coronarography) tests may also prove to be useful.
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PMID:[Myocardial injury in the course of carbon monoxide poisoning]. 2324 21