Somatic effects

UNSCEAR. 1986. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. Genetic and somatic effects of ionizing radiation. New York United Nations. 

Based on structural similarities, the neuropharmacological mechanisms of morning glory alkaloids are likely similar or identical to those of LSD. The subjective effects are also similar, but the lower potency of the alkaloids requires larger doses for hallucinogenic effects. Somatic effects tend to be pronounced, with nausea and gastrointestinal symptoms being very common. 

Berenblum, I. and Trainin, N. (1963). New evidence on the mechanism of radiation leukaemogenesis, page 41, in Cellular Basis and Aetiology of Late Somatic Effects of Ionizing Radiation, Harris, R.J.C., Ed. (Academic Press, London). 

Conklin, J.W., Upton, A.C., Christenberry, KW. and McDonald, T.P. (1963). Comparative late somatic effects of some radiometric agents and x rays, Radiat. Res. 19,156. ... 

For example, female first-degree relatives of women who have had breast cancer have a risk of breast cancer 2-3 times as great as normal, but the data do not fit any simple hypothesis. For most cancers, heritability is rather low. Therefore, the mutation component is likely to be low. There may be a mutation component acting through both germinal and somatic effects. If the two-mutation hypothesis for childhood tumors is correct, an environmental chemical could increase not only the frequency with which the first mutation would be inherited but also the frequency with which the second, somatic mutation would occur. Most calculations concerning retinoblastoma assume that the second mutation is almost certain to happen somewhere in the retina, provided that the first, inherited mutant gene is present. 

The antidepressant effect of thymoleptics manifests after a prolonged latency usually 1-3 weeks pass before subjective or objective improvement becomes noticeable (A). In contrast, somatic effects are immediately evident specifically, the interference with neuronal transmitter/modulator systems (norepinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholine, histamine, dopamine). Reuptake of released serotonin, norepinephrine, or both is impaired (—< elevated concentration in synaptic cleft) and/or receptors are blocked (example in A). These effects are demonstrable in animal studies and are the cause of acute adverse effects. 

The way in which the maximum permissible dose was understood to be at the time was that it should be the quantity of ionising radiation which is determined to not cause any somatic effects which might be detected at any moment of a person s lifetime, based on the present understandings on radiation . However, starting with the recommendation made in 1958, the hereditary effects began to be included. 

It is important to keep in mind that more comprehensive studies on taxonomy and biochemical composition are needed in order to fully understand the Panaeolus species. Perhaps A. Weil s suggestion that Panaeolus subbalteatus from America s Pacific Northwest induces comparatively stronger somatic effects than the Psilocybe species can be investigated chemically as well as toxicologically, in order to reject or support this hypothesis. 

If a person is exposed to a large amount of radiation (i.e., large radiation dose) delivered to the entire body, cells in tissues can be destroyed in large numbers. Because tissues have important functions, the destruction of significant numbers of cells can lead to impairment in one or more of these functions. The biological effects that arise when large numbers of cells are destroyed by radiation are called acute somatic effects if they occur in a relatively short period of time (e.g., within a few weeks) after brief exposure. Acute somatic effects are a subset of what is now formally called early and continuing deterministic effects (once called nonstochastic effects). 

Deterministic effects are those that increase in severity as the radiation dose increases and for which a threshold is presumed to exist. Besides acute somatic effects, deterministic effects also include radiation effects (other than cancer and genetic effects) that continue to occur after an extended period (e.g., years) of chronic exposure. Such chronic exposures can arise from long-lived radionuclides (e.g., isotopes of plutonium and cesium) ingested via contaminated food or inhaled via contaminated air... 

Late somatic effects are those that occur long after exposure to a DNA-damaging agent in progeny of cells other than germ cells. The late somatic effect that is of most concern is cancer. 

Overmann SR, Kostas J, Wilson LR, et al. 1987. Neurobehavior al and somatic effects of perinatal PCB exposure in rats. Environ Res 44 56-70. 

Cocaine toxicity has both somatic and psychiatric manifestations. Somatic effects include myocardial depression, malignant dysrhythmias, stroke, and sudden death, partially due to cocaine-related myocardial sodium channel blockade and coronary and cerebral vasoconstriction. Such life-threatening conditions occur mainly when cocaine is combined with other abused drugs. Psychiatric effects can mimic the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. 

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