“A Wonderful Creation”

 
While in the course, the subject Endocrinology and Toxicology was a delight. It was one of the subjects that I enjoyed and was challenged the most. It just excites me for some reason.

Endocrinology is a study dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions called hormones. These hormones are the substances, usually peptides or steroids, produced by some tissues and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity, such as growth or metabolism. They travel throughout the body and act as chemical messengers. The endocrine system secretes hormones in response to environmental stimuli and to orchestrate developmental and reproductive changes. On the other hand, Toxicology is concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. Basically, in our class, we talked about illegal drugs more but studied also the symptoms, mechanisms, treatments and detection of poisoning, especially the poisoning of people. In Toxicology, the chief criterion regarding the toxicity of a chemical is the dose. All substances are toxic under the right conditions. The relationship between dose and its effects on the exposed organism is of high significance in this subject.

The informative studies about Endocrinology and Toxicology that we had is very helpful for us, the students, for us to understand more and be able to have more knowledge about this matter. Endocrinology, together with Toxicology has their way of working hand in hand. In general, the subject greatly discussed the main functions, their importance, especially to human beings, and how they can be enhanced or improved, in each of the studies' way to make life at better state.

The wonder beyond these studies remains a question in the minds of each of us. It is amazing on how these are made possible. Their  functions and importance were given a highlight in this subject matter. The subject made me realize and appreciate more the value of life. The beauty that forms a human being that was given was able to provide us a lot of useful and necessary knowledge for us to improve our studies and our way of living. All I can say is, we need to take much care for our bodies.

Indeed, it is a wonderful creation.

THINK ABOUT IT….. not just once but a million times

I’m a fanatic viewer of Dr. House MD.  As I watched season 5 episodes 5, Dr. Gregory House once quoted “Drugs are always a mask for something else.” As a professional doctor, Dr. House almost know everything and as they’ve said his best diagnostician of Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital. But as for every success, Dr. House is a drug addict of a pain killer called Vicodin. And as we all know, Hollywood actors and actress also experienced the same thing.

People who falls under the work as being an entertainer and athlete needs more stimulant to boost up their energy to increase the quality of their performance. Thus, most likely they resort to something that is prohibited or what is called the Illicit Drugs. The study of this illegal drug is called TOXICOLOGY.

TOXICOLOGY is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals, symptoms, mechanisms, treatments and detection of poisons on living organisms.

“All substances are poisons; the difference is in the dose.”

All substances are toxic but under the right conditions drugs can be therapeutic. The main criteria regarding the toxicity level of a drug is based on its DOSE. Dose is the total amount of toxicant administered to an individual at a specific time intervals. In other words the risk from a toxic hazard depends on the exposure. 

Four Specialized Area of Toxicology

FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY

It is concerned with the medico-legal aspects of the harmful effects of chemicals in an individual and animals.

CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY

It is concerned more on with the disease caused by or uniquely associated with toxic substances. Accomplished by a Physician and needs a special training in emergency medicine and poison management.

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY

It focuses on the impacts of chemical pollutants in the environment on biological organisms even the non human organisms like fish, birds and other animals.

ECTOXICOLOGY

It is a specialized area within the environmental toxicology that is concerned in the impacts of toxic substances on population dynamics in an ecosystem, the transport, fate and interaction of chemicals in the environment and ectoxicology.

Toxicokinetics

“What the body does to the drug.”

Absorption into the body

• As a general rule, lungs as the excretory organ for fat soluble liquids because they are readily absorbed through the skin. Notably these routes apply to organic solvents such as hexane, toluene, trichlorethylene and many others. 

Distribution within the body

• Drugs need to be water soluble to be excreted in the kidney.
• For example water soluble compounds of lead are found in the red blood cells, while fat soluble ones concentrate in the central nervous system (CNS).
• The concentration of a drug, number and type of cells exposed determines the distribution of the toxic substances.

Metabolism/ biotransformation of toxic substances

• Liver and kidney is the main organ for the biotransformation of toxic substances into their metabolites.
•  Thus non-polar and therefore not water soluble organic compounds tend to be oxidized within the liver e.g.:
• trichloroethane oxidized to trichloroethanol trichloroacetaldehyde and trichloroacetic acid
• dichloromethane (methylene chloride CH2Cl2) oxidized to carbon monoxide (CO)
• Water soluble metabolites are then more easily excreted by the kidney.
• Metabolism or biotransformation does not necessarily result in less toxic compounds.

Routes of elimination of toxic substances / or their metabolites

• Kidneys - especially water soluble substances
• Lungs - especially fat soluble vapors e.g. - alcohols, or gases such as carbon monoxide

Toxicodynamics

“What the drugs do to the body.”

Irritant effects:

• Substances like detergent, cement dust may remove fats from the skin and cause allergic dermatitis.
• Formaldehyde vapor may cause respiratory irritation.

More serious inflammation:

• Inflammation of terminal bronchioles and alveoli leads to pulmonary edema and chemical pneumonitis due to higher exposure to nitrogen oxide.

Narcotic and anesthetic effects: 

• COCAINE
•  Formally known as Benzoylmethylecgonine

·         Local anesthetic - used primarily by otolaryngologists because of its anesthetic and vasocontrictive properties

·         Nasal packing - emergency department physicians also use a liquid form of cocaine to treat epistaxis, by soaking nasal packing in the liquid before inserting it.

·         Used in combination with epinephrine and a synthetic local anesthetic prior suturing wounds in pediatric patients

Analgesic and anxiolytic effect:

·         HEROIN

o   It is synthesized form of morphine, derivative of opium poppy.

o   Heroin is one of the strong agonist of opioids that acts on endogenous opioid receptor that are spread in brain, spinal cord and gut.

o   It has greater lipid solubility than morphine thus reaching the BBB more rapidly.

Suppress appetite

·        Amphetamine

o   MDMA (Ecstasy)

§  Release serotonin

§  SEROTONIN is involved in brain regulation for mood, emotions, sleep, appetite, aggression and perception.

ALCOHOL

·        Depressant

MARIJUANA

·        Cannabis sativa – depressant

SHORT TERM EFFECTS (in general)

•      Low Dosage

–     Euphoria

–     heighten of subjective sensory experiences

–     Fantasies

–     Paranoia

–      laid-back attitude

–     Intense sweating

–     Panic

–     Agitation

–     Paranoia

–     Hallucinations

–     Delirium

–     Seizures

•      Moderate Dosage

–     Dryness of the mouth

–     reddening of the eyes

–      impaired motor skills and memory function

–     lapse of attention

–      feelings of depersonalization

LONG TERM EFFECTS

•      Bronchitis

•      Emphysema

•      bronchial asthma

•      chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

•       increased heart rate

•      increased risk to lungs

•      short term memory

•      glaucoma, suppresses immune system

•      Cardiac dysrhythmia

•      Hemorrhagic stroke

•      Endocarditis

•      Myocarditis

•      Cardiomyopathy

•      Sudden death

Chemical hazards in the workplace and in the environment People may be exposed to a range of toxic chemicals at work or in the general environment. Here are some examples:

Category	Examples
Metals, and metalloids	arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, tin, etc
Inorganics (other)	asbestos, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide
Hydrocarbons - aliphatic	propane, butane, pentane, hexane
Aliphatic alcohols, ketones, ethers, aldehydes and acids	ethyl alcohol (ethanol), acetone, diethyl ether, formaldehyde, acetic acid
Hydrocarbons - aromatic	benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene
Phenols	phenol, pentachlorophenol
Chlorinated volatile organic compounds	perchlorethylene (tetrachloroethene), trichloroethylene (trichloroethene), vinyl chloride
Chlorinated non volatile organic compounds	chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides such as chlordane and DDT
Miscellaneous organic compounds	acrylonitrile, benzidine, aniline, di-isocyanates, organophosphates

PREVENTION

Endocrinology: General Information

Have you ever ask yourself why do most children choose their moms over their dads? Why do others have white complexion while others suffer from dark one? Why do you feel such excitement when you’re in love? Why do women experience mood swings in their menstrual period? Why do some people are taller than you? How come you eat too little then you gains weight a lot? Maybe you already experienced that when you fall in love or your crush smiles at you, your palms sweat, you can stutter and it feels like you have butterflies in your stomachs. All these questions that jog in your mind can be answered by eight letters. If your thinking about HORMONES and your just right. Yes! It’s all about hormones to be blame.

Maybe you already wonder why all these stuffs are all about hormones. For better understanding, first let’s define what is hormone. Hormone is the substance secreted by the specific organs making up the Endocrine System. But what is Endocrine System? Cliché as it may sound, “No man is an island”.  As the word system implies it is the bunch or collection of different organs located in various parts of the body that are working simultaneously as response to the changes that occurs somewhere in the body. And the study that deals with this is called Endocrinology. As I knew it, Endocrinology is a network of signals that are too busy regulating different biochemical processes in the body. This is what keeps you growing, developing, and working the way it supposed to. It secretes hormones that influence almost every cell, organ and function of our body. It’s like a race trying to aim for the finish line. In which, the racers serve as the signals or the hormones aiming for the site of action in the body to convey their functions.

To understand further, just click the play button of this video clip.

What makes hormones unique is that it has different kinds that function for a specific stimulus. Sometimes hormones can overlap to its function and work together for changes to occur. Thus, to be able to identify, hormones are classified either on structure and tissue origin. Some are responsible for growth, emotions, metabolism, secondary characteristics and homeostasis. But not all came up to be good, sometimes when these network of signals is disrupted  like changes in hormone patterns and trouble of the endocrine process this can lead to problems and can result in a disease.

Have you ever wondered why there are people that are too small (pygmy) or too tall (gigantism)? Once again it’s due to hormones. In this picture it shows that the person is suffering from gigantism. Gigantism is due to the excess release of growth hormone during childhood, before the epiphyseal plate (bone growth plate) have closed. Thus, resulting in abnormal growth or gigantism. 

Indeed, it is still hormone that makes you feel excited, blush, sweat when you see your crush, what makes your brother/sister taller than you and what makes you feel emotional. And sometimes, in the worse side, to have disorders like for example gigantism, goiter, and Cushing syndrome and so on.

What I had written here is just brief information about Endocrinology; I suggest you read more books for further understanding and to learn more about Endocrinology. For the next topic to be discussed it’s all about toxicology and its division.

References:
Donald F. Calbreath, Clinical Chemistry A Fundamental Textbook
Catherine B. Niewoehner, Endocrine Pathophysiology: 2nd Edition
Nussey S. Whitehead, Endocrinology: Integrated Approach

Photo credit:

http://toastenglish.com/nFunEnglish/freeview.asp?field=&str=&sid=3195&strBoardid=free&page=16

http://www.finishlineautomotive.webs.com/