Study objective: To determine levels of alcohol and drugs of abuse in weekend drivers injured in car crashes.
Methods: This study was the first systematic drug and alcohol testing of blood and urine ...samples of drivers injured in weekend car crashes in Belgium. Five collaborating hospital in Flanders participated. All injured weekend drivers admitted to the emergency units from July 1, 1994, to June 30, 1995, were included in the study sample. Sampling times were from Friday at 8 pm to Monday at 8 am.
Results: Of the 211 injured drivers, 47.9% had positive test results for screenings for drugs or alcohol; 35.5% only for alcohol, 6.6% only for drugs, and 5.7% had positive results for both alcohol and drugs. Of the 87 weekend drivers with positive alcohol test results, 8% had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level below 80 mg/dL, 25.3% had a concentration between 150 and 190 mg/dL, and 39% had a BAC of 200 mg/dL or greater. There seems to be a consistent association between the consequences of the weekend crashes and the use of alcohol, drugs, or both. More than 50% of those who had negative results for drugs and alcohol could leave the hospital within 24 hours after their car crash. For the majority of those with positive findings for alcohol only or for drugs and alcohol (respectively, 72% and 78%), hospitalization in a general hospital unit or ICU was necessary.
Conclusion: The results suggest that testing drivers for use of alcohol alone is insufficient. Schepens PJ, Pauwels A, Van Damme P, Musuku A, Beaucourt L, Selala MI: Drugs of abuse and alcohol in weekend drivers involved in car crashes in Belgium.
Ann Emerg Med May 1998;31:633-637.
In Vitro Effects of Tremorgenic Mycotoxins Selala, Moss I; Laekeman, Gert M; Loenders, Brigitte ...
Journal of natural products (Washington, D.C.),
01/1991, Letnik:
54, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Paxilline was isolated from Penicillium paxilli (NRRL 6110). It was studied together with penitrem B and verruculogen in the electrically stimulated guinea pig ileum. All three mycotoxins enhanced ...the electrically induced twitch contractions, without influencing the contractions provoked by exogenous acetylcholine. The effect of the mycotoxins could be greatly diminished by hyoscine. The possible mechanism of action of these substances in this in vitro model is discussed. The electrically stimulated guinea pig ileum could be useful in the detection and estimation of the biological activity of tremorgenic mycotoxins.
Analytical studies on single nitrogen containing tremorgenic mycotoxins as well as studies on their biological action were conducted. Improvements on the isolation and detection of these metabolites ...in both synthetic and natural products have now been realized and the mechanism of action through which they induce tremor in ruminants partly elucidated. We have developed a liquid chromatographic method for detecting and isolating these metabolites. Following a Soxhlet extraction of a mould-contaminated matrix using chloroform, the crude extract is partitioned between n-hexane and 80% aq. methanol. The latter fraction, containing the desired toxins, is evaporated to dryness and the residue re-dissolved in dimethylene chloride and analyzed by liquid chromatography using a Supelcosil LC-Si column eluted with dichloromethanediethyl ether (90:1 v/v). Detection is achieved with a UV diode array detector (DAD) in combination with a bench-top computer for data capture, processing and evaluation. Previously isolated, purified and identified toxins are used as standards and similarly analyzed. The DAD generated UV spectra and chromatographic data of the standard toxins are then stored as library in the computer and used in identifying these mycotoxins in crude mixtures. The purity of the separated peaks and the amount of toxins in the crude mixture are determined. Positive confirmation of compound identity is further achieved by mass spectroscopy using the direct inlet probe method. In comparison with methods used previously to isolate these toxins, the present technique is fast and allows the acquisition of complete UV spectral information and chromatographic data as well as the isolation of multiple toxins in a single chromatographic operation. The effect of the isolated tremorgenic mycotoxins were subsequently studied in vitro. Spectrophotometric analysis of their action on GABA-T reveals that they are partial agonists of GABA. Their influence on the enzymic transamination reaction fits very well with the complex compulsory order mechanism in which these compounds do not bind to the free enzyme as such but to the substrate-enzyme complex involving GABA. Their effect on the coaxially stimulated guinea-pig ileum suggest that these toxins also possess muscarinic activity. These results are also confirmed by the topological identity with GABA and muscarine of the indole containing active pharmacophore commonly present in this group of toxins. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
