Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Schepens

Publications and source records attributed to P Schepens.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

In vitro effects of tremorgenic mycotoxins.

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.

Acetylcholine↗

A case of aldicarb poisoning: a possible murder attempt.

A couple showing signs of cholinergic crisis was admitted to the hospital. Analyses with high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry conducted on serum, urine, and stomach contents that were collected few hours after first symptoms showed the presence of aldicarb, which is the most potent carbamate insecticide on the market. A murder attempt was suspected because the patients showed the first signs some minutes after drinking coffee upon returning home and no commercial products containing aldicarb were found in the house. Because of the reversibility of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, the patients recovered after treatment with atropine and toxogonin. They left the hospital after 12 days. To our knowledge, the serum concentrations of aldicarb reported in this paper are the highest reported for a nonfatal case.

Aged↗