La Digitalis. Una planta ligada al arte / Digitalis. A plant linked to art

Resumen La Digitalis purpúrea ha sido utilizada por sus propiedades terapéuticas desde la antigüedad hasta nuestros días. Su difundido uso, tanto como la diversidad de indicaciones que tuvo, permitió que también se conociese desde antaño los riesgos a la salud para quien recibiese una dosis excesiva. La toxicología actual conoce y maneja perfectamente la intoxicación digitálica, sin embargo, muchas historias relacionadas con su uso son poco conocidas. Se presentan algunas de estas historias, muchas de ellas relacionadas con el mundo del arte.

Abstract Digitalis purpurea has been used because of its therapeutic properties since ancient times up to our days. Its wide- spread use as well as the variety of indications that it covered allowed to know the risks for health in case of overdose. Present toxicology is aware and knows perfectly well how to treat digitalic poisoning. However, many stories about digitalis are little known. Here, we show you some of them, specially the ones related with arts.

High doses of digoxin increase the myocardial nuclear factor-kB and CaV1.2 channels in healthy mice. A possible mechanism of digitalis toxicity.

BACKGROUND: Toxic effects of digoxin may occur with normal therapeutic serum level. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB) is an important transcription factor in most organ systems and is often implicated in the harmful effects of cardiac injury. NF-kB promotes inflammatory responses, mediates adverse cardiac remodeling and has a function correlation with calcium. The voltage-gated L-type calcium channel CaV1.2 mediates the influx of Ca+2 into the cell in response to membrane depolarization. Our aim was to characterize the role of NF-kB during digoxin toxicity and to assess its correlation with Cav 1.2 in healthy mice in vivo. METHODS: To address these questions, digoxin was administered in doses of 0.1, 1 or 5 mg/kg orally daily for seven days to the animals. Serum digoxin, serum calcium, atrial and ventricular calcium levels were measured. We, also, looked for NF-kB and CaV1.2 channel expression in cardiac muscle of mice. RESULTS: Digoxin at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg did not enhance serum, atrial, and ventricular Ca+2 levels, but were increased when digoxin dose of 1 and 5 mg/kg were administered. Histologically, myocardial necrosis and cellular infiltration on day 7 were significantly more severe in the 5 mg/kg/day digoxin group. Immunohistochemical studies showed more expression of both NF-kB and CaV1.2 in 1 and 5 mg/kg/day digoxin groups. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that NF-kB may be responsible for digoxin toxicity, at least partially via modulation of CaV1.2 and intracellular calcium homeostasis in the myocardium.

Tejo (Taxus baccata) y digital (Digitalis spp. ): los principios tóxicos son muy diferentes / Yew (Taxus baccata) and foxglove (Digitalis spp. ): toxic principles are very different

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Intoxicación digitálica secundaria al tratamiento con claritromicina / Digitalis intoxication secondary to treatment with clarithromycin

Objetivo: El objetivo del estudio es conocer el porcentaje de pacientes en tratamiento simultáneo con digoxina y claritromicina que presentaron concentraciones séricas de digoxina superiores al rango terapéutico debido a una probable interacción entre ambos fármacos y como consecuencia si existió intoxicación digitálica. Método: Estudio descriptivo y retrospectivo realizado entre enero de 2002 y diciembre de 2003 de todos aquellos pacientes que durante su ingreso hospitalario fueron tratados simultáneamente con digoxina y claritromicina y cuyas concentraciones séricas de digoxina fueron monitorizadas por la sección de farmacocinética del servicio de farmacia. Resultados: Se incluyeron en el estudio 26 pacientes que habían recibido con comitantemente digoxina y claritromicina durante su estancia en el hospital. De ellos, 12 pacientes (46,2%) tuvieron concentraciones séricas de digoxina superiores al rango terapéutico: 7 tenían una dosis de digoxina no adecuada para su edad y/o función renal y 2 no superaban el tiempo medio considerado suficiente para que tuviera lugar la interacción. Por lo tanto, sólo 3 pacientes tuvieron concentraciones séricas de digoxina superiores al rango terapéutico debido probablemente a la interacción con claritromicina y los tres presentaron síntomas de intoxicación digitálica. Conclusiones: Según los resultados de nuestro estudio un 11,5% de los pacientes en tratamiento simultáneo con digoxina y claritromicina presentaron concentraciones séricas de digoxina superiores al rango terapéutico, debido a una probable interacción entre ambos fármacos, y como consecuencia tuvo lugar la intoxicación digitálica. Por ello consideramos necesaria la monitorización de las concentraciones séricas de digoxina en pacientes tratados con claritromicina

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the percentage of patients concurrently receiving digoxin and clarithromycin who exhibited serum digoxin concentrations above the therapeutic range because of a likely interaction between both drugs, and whether digitalis intoxication ensued. Method: A descriptive, retrospective study carried out from January 2002 to December 2003 in all inpatients concurrently receiving digoxin and clarithromycin whose serum digoxin concentrations were monitored by the Pharmacy Department’s Pharmacokinetics Section. Results: Twenty-six patients having received digoxin and clarithromycin concurrently during their hospital stay were included in the study. Of these, 12 patients (46.2%) had serum digoxin concentrations above the therapeutic range: 7 received digoxin indoses unsuited for their age and/or renal function, and 2 fell short of the mean period of time considered adequate for an interaction to occur. Therefore, only 3 patients had serum digoxin concentrations above the therapeutic range, probably because of an interaction with clarithromycin, and all three had digitalis intoxication symptoms. Conclusions: According to the results of our study, 11.5% of patients concurrently receiving digoxin and clarithromycin had serum digoxin concentrations above the therapeutic range because of a likely interaction between these two drugs, with digitalis intoxication ensuing. Thus, we deem it necessary to monitor serum digoxin concentrations in patients receiving clarithromycin