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W Martz

Publications and source records attributed to W Martz.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Accidental intoxication with methylene dianiline p,p'-diaminodiphenylmethane: acute liver damage after presumed ecstasy consumption.

BACKGROUND: MDA is the abbreviation for methylene dianiline (p,p' diaminodiphenylmethane; 4,4'-methylenedianiline; CAS 101-77-9); and for methylendioxyamphetamine (MDMA, N, alpha-dimethyl-1,3-benzodioxole-5-ethanamine; CAS 42542-10-9). While the former is used for the production of polyurethane foams, the latter is a psychometric drug, which is becoming increasingly popular in the techno scene. METHODS: We report six participants of a technoparty (1 female, 5 males, ages 17-25) who were admitted to the hospital with severe colicky abdominal pain and subsequently developed symptoms of hepatotoxicity. They had ingested an alcoholic beverage that had been spiked with a powdery substance they dubbed MDA. RESULTS: All patients showed similar clinical symptoms, with an identical time course. Acute jaundice developed within 2 days after ingestion. Enzymes indicating cholestasis increased steadily over 7 days and reached peak values of 800 U/L (AP) and 380 U/L (GGT), whereas transaminases remained moderately elevated. Between days 5 and 7, all patients became febrile for one day, their body temperatures rising up to 40 degrees C. There was no evidence for hemolysis or an infectious hepatitis. Toxicological analysis revealed the presence of p,p'-diaminodiphenylmethane (4,4'-methylenedianiline) at a concentration of 130 mg/L in one of two urine extracts examined. CONCLUSIONS: The analytical data indicate that the participants of the technoparty assumed the aniline-derivative, the cause of Epping Jaundice, was methylendioxyamphetamine because the same abbreviation, MDA, is used for both compounds. An overview of the acute liver toxicity of aniline derivatives is given and the possibility of amphetamine-induced liver damage is discussed.

3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine↗
PubMed1996

Postmortem diagnosis of diabetic metabolic derangement: elevated alpha 1-antitrypsin and haptoglobin glycosylation levels as an index of antemortem hyperglycemia.

Fatal diabetic metabolic derangement is difficult to diagnose postmortem because of the paucity of characteristic morphologic findings. Hyperglycemia is an indicator of diabetic derangement. Conventional biochemical parameters for postmortem diagnosis of antemortem hyperglycemic states are not sufficiently resistant to antemortem and postmortem non-diabetic influences or are suited only for long and medium-term assessment of diabetes control. In the search for other, more reliable, indices of immediately antemortem blood glucose levels, we investigated the value of glycosylation levels of serum proteins with very brief biologic half-lives: a) In vitro studies were performed on the glycosylation course of the short-lived serum proteins alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) and haptoglobin (HP). b) Glycosylation levels were measured after purification of alpha 1-AT and HP from sera of living and deceased non-diabetics and diabetics. c) The resistance of alpha 1-AT and HP glycosylation levels to autolysis was investigated. Our studies revealed the following: 1) alpha 1-AT and HP glycosylate considerably more rapidly than either albumin or hemoglobin. This rapid glycosylation, combined with the rapid turnover of both proteins; facilitates detection of short-term changes in glycemia. 2) alpha 1-AT and HP glycosylation levels are autolysis-stable and can be assessed even after advanced hemolysis. 3) alpha 1-AT and HP glycosylation levels appear to allow reliable ante- and postmortem discrimination between normoglycemic and hyperglycemic metabolic states. As a tool in the postmortem diagnosis of antemortem hyperglycemic states, alpha 1-AT and HP glycosylation levels combine the advantages of a short-term parameter with resistance to non-diabetic influences.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Measurement of digitalis-glycoside levels in ocular tissues: a way to improve postmortem diagnosis of lethal digitalis-glycoside poisoning? I. Digoxin.

Prompted by animal studies reporting the accumulation of digitalis-glycosides in ocular tissues, we investigated whether measurement of digoxin levels in human ocular tissues can improve the postmortem diagnosis of lethal digoxin intoxication. Digoxin was measured in the vitreous humor and choroid-retina of patients who had received in-patient treatment with digoxin prior to death (therapeutic group) and in a single case of suicidal intoxication. The results were compared with the digoxin levels in the femoral vein blood, myocardium, kidney and liver, and evaluated in light of the medical history of each patient. In the therapeutic group the mean digoxin level was higher in the choroid-retina than in other tissues and body fluids. The range of variation in levels in the choroid-retina following therapeutic doses was comparable to that in the other tissues. An extremely high level of digoxin was present in the choroid-retina in the case of suicidal intoxication. In all cases, levels in the vitreous humor were very low compared to those in the choroid-retina. Hence, it is unlikely that significant distortion of choroid-retinal levels occurs due to postmortem diffusion of digoxin into the vitreous body. Our results indicate that measurement of digoxin levels in the choroid-retina can aid the postmortem diagnosis of lethal digoxin intoxication.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Measurement of digitalis-glycoside levels in ocular tissues: a way to improve postmortem diagnosis of lethal digitalis-glycoside poisoning? II. Digitoxin.

Postmortem digitoxin levels in the choroid-retina and vitreous humor of patients who had undergone digitoxin therapy (therapeutic group) and in one case of suicidal digitoxin poisoning were measured and compared with levels in femoral vein blood, myocardium, kidney and liver. The results were interpreted in light of the medical history of each patient. The digitoxin level in the choroid-retina of the single case of suicidal poisoning was far higher than the choroid-retinal levels in the therapeutic group. In the latter, variation in choroid-retinal levels was comparable to that in the other tissues. In cases where the choroid-retina of the right and left eyes were examined, digitoxin levels in both eyes were essentially equal. There was no indication of significant changes in choroid-retinal levels due to postmortem diffusion of digitoxin into the vitreous body. Based on these results, determination of digitoxin levels in the choroid-retina could contribute to improving postmortem diagnosis of lethal digitoxin poisoning.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Plants with a reputation against snakebite.

Many plants are recommended in traditional medicine as active against various effects of snakebite. Few attempts have been made to investigate the veracity of these assertions in controlled experiments. Several workers, mainly Oriental, have investigated the reputation of such plants by performing in vitro and in vivo experiments in order to demonstrate whether there was any protective effect, using drugs or mixtures of drugs prepared using traditional formulae. In some studies, these extracts were administered to mice before or after treatment with different elapid or crotalid venoms. Other papers deal with selected compounds isolated from Schumanniophyton magnificum, Eclipta prostrata or Aristolochia shimadai, and their capacity to inhibit phospholipase A2 or other enzymes (e.g. ATPase) or for physiological and biochemical properties (such as effects on uterine tone or the protection of mitochondrial membranes). Japanese workers have described the antihaemorrhagic effect of persimmon tannin from Diospyros kaki. Atropine has been attributed a life-prolonging effect after black mamba venom treatment. Prolonged survival was also observed after pretreatment with extracts of Diodia scandens and Andrographis paniculata. Some authors have found little or no beneficial effects. The papers collected so far show that there are no systematic investigations in this field.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Individualization of theophylline dosage: a Bayesian method evaluated in patients with once-daily dosing.

A Bayesian drug dosing program was prospectively evaluated in 16 hospitalized patients with obstructive respiratory disease treated with a novel sustained-release preparation Euphylong. Theophylline was given as a single evening dose. By means of the Bayesian method, the early morning peak was predicted from a steady-state theophylline serum level determined at 8:00 a.m. The prediction errors were in all cases within a clinically acceptable range (mean prediction error +/- standard deviation: -0.2 +/- 1.3 mg/L). The results were compared with predictions based on steady state theophylline serum levels at 8:00 p.m. The prediction errors observed were on average greater than the prediction errors based on the serum levels at 8:00 a.m. (-0.6 +/- 2.5 mg/L). These findings suggest that the Bayesian method is useful for dosage predictions in patients treated once a day with Euphylong.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Determination of methotrexate in serum: the aca MTHO immunoassay and HPLC compared.

The determination of methotrexate on the aca clinical analyser (aca MTHO method) was evaluated and the method compared with a fluorescence polarisation immunoassay (FPIA) and a specific high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedure. The within series and the between days coefficients of variation of measurements in human pool serum spiked with methotrexate (0.07 mumol/l to 15 mumol/l) ranges from 11.7% to 2.5% and 14.0% to 5.8%, respectively. The calibration was found to be stable for 9 weeks. There was a good correlation between the results of the MTHO method when compared with FPIA and HPLC. At low methotrexate concentration, the results of HPLC were on average 11% and 14% lower than those obtained by the MTHO assay and FPIA respectively.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1988

Livestock poisoning in South America by species of the Senecio plant.

The pyrrolizidine alkaloids retrorsine, senecionine, integerrimine, neosenkirkine and florosenine were isolated from different Senecio spp. common in southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. Structure elucidation of these compounds was mainly accomplished by two-dimensional FT NMR techniques. Detailed interpretations of 1H-1H and 1H-13C NMR correlation spectra are given. The alkaloids neosenkirkine, integerrimine and florosenine were found in Senecio leptolobus De Candolle, retrorsine accompanied by senecionine in Senecio selloi (Spreng.) DC and Senecio cisplatinus Cabrera. In Senecio heterotrichus DC. integerrimine is accompanied by retrorsine. Investigations on pathology and histopathology of Senecio envenomation in Brazil are summarized.

Alkaloids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Determination of remoxipride in cadaver blood using high pressure liquid chromatography].

The suitability of high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) for determining remoxipride levels in cadaver blood was tested in a case of possible remoxipride intoxication. Level in our case was found to be lower than in cases of remoxipride poisoning described in the literature. The procedure developed for using HPLC to measure remoxipride levels in cadaver blood is described in detail. Using this method a distinction could be made between remoxipride and sulpiride.

Adult↗