Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 16, 2026
09:03
A Simple Fluorescence-based Reporter Assay to Identify Cellular Components Required for Ricin Toxin A Chain RTA Trafficking in Yeast
Published on: December 15, 2017
8.6K
Ricin Toxicity: Clinical and Molecular Aspects
Mohammad Moshiri1, Fatemeh Hamid2, Leila Etemad3
1Pharmacodynamy and Toxicology department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Reports of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
|August 19, 2016
Summary
Castor bean (CB) seeds contain ricin toxin (RT), a potent poison. Toxicity severity depends on exposure route, with inhalation being most dangerous, causing severe lung damage.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) seeds contain ricin toxin (RT), a highly poisonous ribosome-inactivating protein.
- Ricin toxin (RT) is a glycoprotein composed of A and B chains, with toxicity varying by exposure route.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the clinical and molecular aspects of ricin toxin toxicity.
- To discuss the varying manifestations and potential treatments for ricin intoxication.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of ricin toxin (RT) studies.
- Examination of clinical manifestations based on exposure route (inhalation, oral, injection).
- Discussion of diagnostic methods like ELISA and potential therapeutic agents.
Main Results:
- Inhalation of RT causes severe pulmonary edema and pneumonia.
- Oral ingestion leads to gastrointestinal distress, shock, and renal failure.
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) can detect RT; ricinine in urine indicates exposure.
Conclusions:
- Ricin toxin (RT) poses a significant toxicological threat with diverse clinical outcomes.
- Supportive care and decontamination are primary treatments; dexamethasone and difluoromethylornithine show potential efficacy.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Bioactivation and Tissue Toxicity
78
Bioactivation is a metabolic process that transforms less reactive substances into highly reactive metabolites, initiating tissue toxicity. This transformation can lead to various toxic effects, including carcinogenesis and teratogenesis. Reactive metabolites are classified into two main types: electrophiles and free radicals.Electrophiles are electron-deficient species and are produced primarily by the enzyme cytochrome P-450 during the metabolism of compounds containing carbon, nitrogen, or...
78
01:24Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
93
Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are potential complications that arise during pharmacotherapy, influenced by multiple risk factors. Age plays a significant role; both neonates and the elderly are at heightened risk due to their respective immature and diminished metabolic and elimination processes. Gender also impacts ADRs, with females experiencing a 1.5 to 1.7-fold greater risk than males, which may be linked to pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and hormonal differences. Notably, neonates, the...
93
02:53CRISPR and crRNAs
19.5K
Bacteria and archaea are susceptible to viral infections just like eukaryotes; therefore, they have developed a unique adaptive immune system to protect themselves. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) are present in more than 45% of known bacteria and 90% of known archaea.
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
19.5K
01:00Drug Toxicity: Overview
125
Drug toxicity quantifies the harm a compound causes to an organism, varying by dose and potentially impacting whole systems or specific organs like the liver. Toxic reactions may arise from venomous insect or spider bites, with effects ranging from mild symptoms to severe outcomes such as brain damage or death. Common forms of acute poisoning include ethanol intoxication and overdose of pain or fever medications, with substances like GHB and heroin being particularly lethal at doses close to...
125