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Related Concept Videos

Anticholinesterase Agents: Poisoning and Treatment01:26

Anticholinesterase Agents: Poisoning and Treatment

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Anticholinesterases, also known as cholinesterase inhibitors, work by blocking the breakdown of acetylcholine, leading to its accumulation in the synaptic cleft. This accumulation indirectly enhances both muscarinic and nicotinic actions. These agents are classified as reversible or irreversible based on their mechanism of action.     
Irreversible agents form a strong bond with the cholinesterase enzyme, making it inactive. The breakdown of the phosphorylated enzyme is...
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Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics01:19

Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics

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Depolarizing blockers are administered through intravenous injection. Succinylcholine is the most common choice of depolarizing blockers in emergency clinical practices. Although they have a rapid onset, they readily diffuse away from the motor end plate into the extracellular fluid. They are metabolized by enzymes such as liver butyrylcholinesterase and plasma pseudocholinesterases. This produces a short duration of action, typically 5-10 minutes long, unlike nondepolarizing blockers, which...
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Depolarizing Blockers: Mechanism of Action01:28

Depolarizing Blockers: Mechanism of Action

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Depolarizing blockers act on skeletal muscle fibers' membranes and induce their depolarization. Most depolarizing blockers have two quaternary N+ atoms that bind the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and cause neuromuscular blockade within minutes.
Succinylcholine is the most commonly used depolarizing blocker. Chemically, it constitutes two molecules of acetylcholine joined together by an acetate methyl group. They act on the receptors in the same way as acetylcholine. Because...
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Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects01:21

Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects

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Skeletal muscle relaxants are widely used for muscle paralysis and relieving pain following any muscle injury or stiffness. However, depending on the drug type, they can have adverse effects that range from mild to severe. Usually, nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers have minimal side effects. For example, drugs like d-tubocurarine, cisatracurium, and rocuronium cause hypotension, whereas drugs like baclofen, when stopped abruptly, can lead to the recurrence of spastic conditions.
Unlike...
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Physical Properties of Amines01:26

Physical Properties of Amines

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Amines with low molecular weight are usually gaseous at room temperature, while those with high molecular weight are liquid or solids in nature. Usually, low molecular weight amines have a rotten fish-like smell. Diamines typically have a pungent smell. For instance, cadaverine and putrescine, depicted in Figure 1, are two molecules responsible for decaying tissue.
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Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship01:29

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship

592
Indirect-acting cholinergic agonists are agents that interact with the acetylcholinesterase enzyme in the synaptic cleft, preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine into choline and acetate. Consequently, the concentration of acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft increases. These agonists can be classified into reversible and irreversible inhibitors based on their duration of action.
Reversible inhibitors display short to medium durations of action. Short-acting agents include simple alcohols with...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2025

Manufacturing and Using Piggy-back Multibarrel Electrodes for In vivo Pharmacological Manipulations of Neural Responses
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Taking the bait: Strychnine poisoning.

Jeremy Hardin1, Henrik Galust1, Alexandra Bensel2

  • 1Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, UC San Diego Health, CA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States of America; San Diego Division, California Poison Control System, San Diego, CA, United States of America.

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine
|October 7, 2023
PubMed
Summary

This case report details a rare strychnine poisoning from ingesting "gopher killer." The patient experienced severe muscle spasms and cardiovascular collapse but recovered fully after intensive treatment.

Keywords:
Gopher poisonOpisthotonosRisus SardonicusStrychnineToxicologyTrismus

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Induction of Acute Skeletal Muscle Regeneration by Cardiotoxin Injection
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Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Strychnine poisoning is a rare but life-threatening condition.
  • Intentional ingestion of pesticides containing strychnine poses a significant public health risk.

Observation:

  • A 48-year-old male presented with generalized muscle spasms, opisthotonos, and cardiovascular collapse after ingesting strychnine-based pesticide.
  • Classic neurological and physical examination findings consistent with strychnine toxicity were observed.
  • A blood strychnine concentration of 2.2 mg/L was recorded five hours post-ingestion.

Findings:

  • The patient required 24 hours of neuromuscular paralysis for management of severe muscle spasms.
  • Despite the severity of poisoning, the patient was discharged on hospital day 10 without any long-term sequelae.
  • This case highlights the potential for recovery even in severe strychnine poisoning with appropriate medical intervention.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of recognizing and managing rare toxicological emergencies.
  • The report includes a video of classic strychnine poisoning findings, serving as a valuable educational tool for clinicians.
  • Public awareness regarding the dangers of pesticide ingestion is crucial to prevent such incidents.