Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0751295 (memory loss)
 3,619 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch ('Wugong'), the beetle Mylabris phalerata Pallas ('Ban mao') and the earthworm Pheretima aspergillum Chen ('DiLong') have a reputation in traditional Chinese medicine for reducing symptoms of central nervous system decline, including memory loss. A series of extracts of all three organisms was tested for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and copper ion binding effects, the latter likely to reduce oxidative damage caused by excess copper. The beetle and centipede chloroform extracts showed the strongest AChE inhibitory effects (30.6% inhibition at 105 microg mL(-1) and 32.3% inhibition at 167 microg mL(-1), respectively) and, in the case of the centipede, this was traced to the unsaturated fatty acids present using bioassay-guided fractionation. Cantharidin from the beetle was shown to have AChE activity (31% inhibition at 1 muM, 0.196 microg mL(-1)), making it a major contributor to the activity of the beetle extract. The earthworm showed no AChE inhibitory activity. Since unsaturated fatty acids have not been previously reported to have AChE inhibitory activity, a series of related compounds was tested to determine structure-activity relationships. It was found that activity existed where there was a chain length of more than 16 C atoms with at least one unsaturated bond in the chain. The carboxylic acid group was also necessary for activity. The fatty acids present in the centipede also showed the ability to bind copper ions when tested using a novel thin layer chromatography method designed to detect copper-binding compounds. The activities reported give some support to the use of the beetle and centipede in traditional Chinese medicine for improving cognitive function.
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PMID:Relevant activities of extracts and constituents of animals used in traditional Chinese medicine for central nervous system effects associated with Alzheimer's disease. 1680 60

This report documents a case of drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) under the influence of solvents. The victim was a 13-year-old female. Upon contact with law enforcement, she was still confused and could hardly explain the facts. She told authorities that she had been kidnapped 4 h previously when two individuals with covered faces put a cloth soaked in a solvent over her mouth. She spent a few hours in a room, during which she lost consciousness. The girl awakened semi-nude in the street with memory loss. No alcohol was present in the subject's body; no odor of alcohol was detected on the subject's breath. No lesions were observed during a gynecological exam. A blood sample was taken with the intent to investigate the use of chloroform or similar anesthetics. Toxicological analysis of the victim's blood revealed the presence of 7.6 mg/L of benzene, 24.8 mg/L of toluene, and 0.6 mg/L of xylene (mixture of isomers). As for other analytical findings, diazepam (0.02 mg/L) was also found. The aromatic solvents involved in this case were detected using gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection (GC-FID) and confirmed using GC-mass spectrometry (MS) in full scan mode after liquid-liquid extraction of the whole blood sample. Quantitation of the aromatic solvents was carried out using GC-FID. Diazepam was detected using GC with nitrogen-phosphorus detection (NPD) and confirmed using GC-MS with full scan mode after solid-phase extraction of the whole blood sample using Bond-Elut Certify columns. Quantitation of diazepam was carried out using GC-NPD. No other drugs, including ethanol, were detected. Recoveries for benzene, toluene, and xylene (mixture of isomers) in whole blood at 5 mg/L were 89.2%, 90.8%, and 93.4%, respectively. Intraday precisions were 5.3%, 5.0%, and 4.9%, respectively, and interday precisions were 12.1%, 11.6%, and 11.5%, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) were 30 and 100 microg/L, respectively. The linearity of the blood calibration curves was excellent with r(2) values of > 0.999 (range 0.1-10 mg/L). Recovery for diazepam in whole blood at 0.5 mg/L was 88.2% with intraday and interday precisions of 2.0% and 10.8%, respectively. The LOD and LOQ were 6 and 20 microg/L, respectively. The linearity of the blood calibration curve was excellent with r(2) values of > 0.999 (range 0.1-2 mg/L). We want to alert other toxicologists about new or unexpected products that should be taken into account when the surreptitious use of substances in DFSA is suspected.
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PMID:An unusual case of drug-facilitated sexual assault using aromatic solvents. 1695 37