Pancreas failure

Initially, most of the adverse effects seen with zidovudine use (in particular hematological effects) were attributed to interference with cellular DNA replication. However, DNA replication also occurs in mitochondria. Mitochondrial DNA encodes some of the enzymes used for oxidative phosphorylation. Only recently has it been hjrpothesized that inhibition of this pathway could lead to mitochondrial toxicity and be responsible for most of the toxicity seen with NRTIs, including polyneuropathy, myopathy, cardiomyopathy, steatosis, lactic acidosis, exocrine pancreas failure, bone marrow failure, and proximal tubular dysfunction (11). These adverse effects are also a compilation of the clinical features seen in several genetic mitochondrial cytopathies. 

Pancreas failure, Alzheimer s disease and Parkinson s disease aie urgent taigets for pharmaceutical intervention, where tissue engineering and gene therapy offer the best solutions. 

Phenol. Phenol monomer is highly toxic and absorption by the skin can cause severe blistering. Large quantities can cause paralysis of the central nervous system and death. Ingestion of minor amounts may damage kidneys, Hver, and pancreas. Inhalation can cause headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and heart failure. The threshold limit value (TLV) for phenol is 5 ppm. The health and environmental risks of phenol and alkylated phenols, such as cresols and butylphenols, have been reviewed (66). 

Insulin is a peptide hormone, secreted by the pancreas, that regulates glucose metabolism in the body. Insufficient production of insulin or failure of insulin to stimulate target sites in liver, muscle, and adipose tissue leads to the serious metabolic disorder known as diabetes mellitus. Diabetes afflicts millions of people worldwide. Diabetic individuals typically exhibit high levels of glucose in the blood, but insulin injection therapy allows diabetic individuals to maintain normal levels of blood glucose. 

Knowledge of the biochemistry of the porphyrins and of heme is basic to understanding the varied functions of hemoproteins (see below) in the body. The porphyrias are a group of diseases caused by abnormalities in the pathway of biosynthesis of the various porphyrins. Although porphyrias are not very prevalent, physicians must be aware of them. A much more prevalent clinical condition is jaundice, due to elevation of bilirubin in the plasma. This elevation is due to overproduction of bilirubin or to failure of its excretion and is seen in numerous diseases ranging from hemolytic anemias to viral hepatitis and to cancer of the pancreas. 

Oral antidiabetic agents might be indicated in noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), i.e. diabetes Type II where insulin resistance caused by down-regulation of insulin receptors or a failure of the pancreas to release insulin even though it is formed, play a role. However, oral antidiabetic... 

The positive therapeutic effect of the complex treatment involving Ovosorb was achieved in 405 patients and required 2-7 hemosorption sessions. In 46 patients involution of the destructive process in the pancreas was observed after a single procedure of hemosorption. It should be noted that in the process of complex therapy there were no cases in which signs of acute organ system failure appeared... 

Ethanol Multiple effects on neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, and signaling pathways Antidote in methanol and ethylene glycol poisoning Zero-order metabolism duration depends on dose Toxicity Acutely, CNS depression and respiratory failure chronically, damage to many systems, including liver, pancreas, GI tract, and central and peripheral nervous systems Interactions Induces CYP2E1 Increased conversion of acetaminophen to toxic metabolite... 

Chronic iron toxicity (iron overload), also known as hemochromatosis, results when excess iron is deposited in the heart, liver, pancreas, and other organs. It can lead to organ failure and death. It most commonly occurs in patients with inherited hemochromatosis, a disorder characterized by excessive iron absorption, and in patients who receive many red cell transfusions over a long period of time (eg, patients with thalassemia major). 

L2. Lankisch, P. G., Pfichthofer, D., and Lehnik, D., No strickt correlation between necrosis and organ failure in acute pancreatitis. Pancreas 20, 319 (2000). 

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