Medical News

  Veratrum alkaloids are a class of natural compounds found in plants of the Veratrum genus.Historically, Veratrum  has been used as a source of medicines and insecticide. Their toxicity was noted in sneezing powders made from pulverized roots of these plants. Inhalation or ingestion has resulted in several signs and symptoms, including hypotension or bradyarrhythmia.  Pharmacological and toxicological studies on Veratrum alkaloids have revealed pharmacological effects such as lowering blood pressure, strengthening the heart, anti-thrombotic, improving blood-brain circulation, and antiparasitic infection. However, it has been found to have both reproductive and genotoxic effects and significant toxic effects on the human digestive and respiratory systems, so it should not be used indiscriminately. Mechanism of Toxicity [1] The veratrum alkaloids, which are chemically similar to steroids, include protoveratrine, veratridine, and Jervine. These agents were introduced...

Long-term toxicity testing, also known as repeated dose toxicity tests, is a type of general toxicity tests and is an integral part and core component of non-clinical safety studies of drugs. General toxicity testing usually involves exposing test subjects to a chemical substance for a relatively short period (usually a few weeks or less) to determine the potential health effects of the essence after long-term exposure. In contrast, long-term toxicity testing involves exposing test subjects to a substance for a much more extended period, usually months or years, to determine the effects of long-term exposure. This type of testing is beneficial for assessing the chronic effects of a substance, such as the development of cancer or other chronic diseases. Therefore, long-term toxicity testing is one of preclinical toxicology studies ' most comprehensive, informative, and clinically relevant toxicological studies. Long-term toxicity testing is closely related to acute toxicity, reprod...

 The development of various human diseases is highly complex. For drug developers to study human pathogenesis and pathological changes and observe and evaluate the efficacy of drugs, it is necessary to construct models that mimic human diseases, such as organoid or animal models, to explore the nature of human diseases and evaluate the effectiveness of new drugs. In vitro, ex vivo, or rodent models are generally used in the early stage of drug discovery . As new drug candidates progress from discovery to preclinical development and scale-up drug preparation, large animal models such as Minipigs, dogs, and monkeys are gradually adopted. The porcine model is one of the large animal models used in many laboratories and drug research sites. The size and characteristics of pigs vary by species. Minipigs were first used in medical research in Europe before being introduced to the United States in the 1980s. Minipigs are a commonly used animal model for pharmaceutical research. Minipigs a...

 In innovative drug development, conducting toxicology studies to determine the type, dose, and mechanism of toxic response to a drug is essential to deciding on a drug's safety and efficacy, developing safe drug use strategies, and avoiding unnecessary drug toxicities. Generally, drug toxicology research includes the following : (1) Toxicity testing : drug toxicity tests are conducted in experimental animals or cells to assess the harmful effects of drugs on organisms. (2) Mechanism of toxicity studies : To understand the causes of toxic reactions by studying the mechanism of action of drugs. (3) Toxicity assessment: To assess drug safety and potential risks and develop reasonable drug use strategies. (4) Toxicological monitoring : to monitor the population using the drug and understand the long-term toxicity and adverse effects. In the early stage of R&D, the early combination of toxicological screening and evaluation can help improve the success rate of innovat...