Mescaline toxicity

Acute mescaline toxicity can be treated with supportive care. The patient s airway, breathing, and circulation should initially be assessed and therapy provided as required. Reassurance and provision of a quiet, nonthreatening environment may be effective in decreasing anxiety. Benzodiazepines should be utilized to alleviate sympathomimetic effects, anxiety, or... 

Paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA) has a hallucinogenic potency about five times that of mescaline and three times that of MDA. Because of its high toxicity, it caused fatal intoxications shortly after it became available on the street in the early 1970s (Cimbura 1974). Some of the fatalities were apparently due to the fact that the substance was sold to users as MDA because of the higher potency of PMA, severe intoxication (i.e., hypertensive crisis, seizures, death) occurred. 

There is no clear evidence for genetic toxicity of mescaline. Chromosomal damage in lymphocytes was not evident in Huichol Indians, who have a 1,600-year cultural tradition of religious peyote use (Dorrance et al. 1975). 

Hallucinogens LSD (lysergide) Psilocybin, psilocin DMT, mescaline DOM, STP + Distortion of perception, mood, and thought -H-M- Neurotoxicity Flashbacks Toxic psychosis... 

An alkaloid is a complex organic chemical substance found in plants, which characteristically combines nitrogen with other elements, has a bitter taste, and typically has some toxic, stimulant, analgesic effects. There are many different alkaloids, 30 of which are found in the opium plant. While morphine is the most important alkaloid in opium—for its natural narcotic qualities as well as providing the chemical structure for heroin—another alkaloid, codeine, is also sought after for its medicinal attributes. Other alkaloids include papaverine, narcotine, nicotine, atropine, cocaine, and mescaline. While the concentration of morphine in opium varies depending on where and how the plant is cultivated, it typically ranges from 3 percent to 20 percent. 

This is interesting, because testing of the compound in the open field indicated it had the relatively low potency of mescaline. We found that salvinorin A was insoluble in water it had to be dissolved in com oil and Tween-80 (a surfactant) before adding water to make an emulsion. The emulsion had to be shaken thoroughly before dosing each animal, as it would readily break (settle). It was administered by intraperitoneal injection (3.2 to 100 mg/kg of salvinorin A) and log-dose/response curves of measured behavioral parameters were satisfactory (Valdes 1983). In toxicity studies mice were dosed at 1 g/kg of salvinorin A (the limits of being able to make a serviceable preparation) and observed them for a week. All animals survived and appeared unharmed, but they were not autopsied (Valdes et al. 1987). It is obvious that salvinorin A is not absorbed in the... 

The fourth compound—the most toxic—is lophopherine, which is extremely toxic to cold-blooded animals, and was approached very cautiously by Heffter in his evaluations. At 20 mg., he had quite a radical vaso-dilation and an immediate headache. He pursued it religiously up to 50 mg.—at which there was quite a drop in heart rate and a compensatory increase in blood pressure, but no mescaline-like central effects whatsoever, no visual effects and no interpretative effects akin to mescaline. 

Toxicity. Mescaline induces psychotic changes similar to those produced by lysergide, but it is less potent. The effects of a single dose may persist for about 12 hours. 

Animal tests showed that, on average, psilocybin was a substance only half as toxic as mescaline, and at the same time, turned out to be 50 times more potent as a psychoactive substance. For example, up to 2 g of mescaline were being administered with no dangerous side effects, while the usual dose of psilocybin ranged from 3 to 30 mg as part of psychological testing and psychotherapy sessions. 

Recent studies have demonstrated mescaline extract toxicity in mouse and human leukocyte models of immune systems. 

Psilocybin, mescaline, and LSD have similar central (via serotonergic systems) and peripheral (sympathomimetic) effects. None of these hallucinogenic drugs have been shown to have teratogenic potential. Contrast this with the established potential for teratogenicity or other fetal toxicity with abuse of ethanol, amphetamines, and cocaine. Unlike most hallucinogens, phencyclidine acts as a positive reinforcer of self-administration in animals. Scopolamine is not a positive reinforcer but does exert atropine-like effects. The answer is (D). 

Mescaline is a psychedelic agent, causing hallucinations. It promotes psychosis in predisposed individuals. The mechanism of action probably involves its function as serotonin 5-HT agonist (Nichols 1986). Toxic symptoms include drowsiness, dilation of pupil, hyperreflexia, and restlessness. These symptoms progress with increasing doses, resulting in euphoria, distorted perceptions, and hallucinations. Such an illusion effect in humans may be manifested from intramuscular administration of about 150 mg of mescaline. The toxicity of this alkaloid, is otherwise, moderate, rarely causing death from overdose. 

Salsolidine occurs in Salsola richteri (Chenopodia-ceae). It exhibits antihypertensive activity. Lophophorine (N-methylanhalonine) is the most poisonous member of this group LD50 (rabbit i.v.) 15-20 mg/kg, physiological action, see mescaline. Anhalonidine is also highly toxic. 

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