Suicide by self-injection of chlormequat trademark C5SUN(®).

Chlormequat is a quaternary ammonium used as plant growth regulating agent. We report here the first suicide case involving a 45 year-old farmer man who intentionally self-injected C5SUN(®), containing chlormequat and choline. An original liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry method (LC-HR-MS), using a hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer, was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of chlormequat in different biological matrices. Toxicological analyses of post-mortem samples highlighted the presence of chlormequat in the blood (2.25mg/L) and the urine (4.45mg/L), in addition to ethanol impregnation blood (1.15g/L). The route of administration (subcutaneous injection) was confirmed by the detection of chlormequat in the abdominal fat sample (chlormequat: 10.04mg/g) taken from the traumatic injury location, as well as in the syringe found at the death scene, close to the victim's body. Based on the results of these post-mortem investigations, the cause of death was determined to be consecutive to cardiac dysrhythmia and cardiac arrest following chlormequat self-injection.

Chlormequat poisoning is not without risk: Examination of seven fatal cases.

Chlormequat chloride is a plant growth regulator. Chlormequat poisoning clinically resembles anticholinesterase insecticide poisoning. The cholinergic symptoms result from direct action on nicotinic and muscarinic receptors and not from inhibition of the cholinesterase activity. This case series confirms the extreme gravity of chlomequat poisoning with a risk of death in the hour following ingestion.

The adverse effects of hydrogen cyanamide on human health: an evaluation of inquiries to the New Zealand National Poisons Centre.

INTRODUCTION: Hydrogen cyanamide is used in New Zealand to induce bud break in kiwifruit vines. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the calls received by the New Zealand National Poisons Centre (NZNPC) attributed to acute hydrogen cyanamide exposure, and to ascertain the clinical effects of such exposures. METHODS: Call data from the NZNPC telephone collection databases regarding human hydrogen cyanamide exposures were analyzed retrospectively for the years 1990-2006. RESULTS: There were 68 human exposures, 69% were male and 22% female; 88% were adults and there were no suicide attempts. Common exposure routes were inhalation (56%) and skin contact (28%). The workplace accounted for 45% of calls. The predominant toxic effects were nausea and vomiting (29%), headache (22%), contact dermatitis (19%), and erythema (18%). DISCUSSION: Reported symptoms and signs were consistent with the expected effects of hydrogen cyanamide exposure. Other reports of similar exposures describe higher degrees of illnesses among workers using hydrogen cyanamide, which might have been because of lack of training, inadequate access to personal protective equipment, and the absence of engineering controls. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the calls received by the NZNPC, acute exposure to hydrogen cyanamide in the workplace or acute exposure to those living within the vicinity of its use may not pose a significant immediate threat to human health.

[Poisoning as a method of suicide in children and adolescents]. / Vergiftungen als Suizidmittel von Kindern und Jugendlichen.

The number of suicides by children and juveniles has remained similar or even slightly reduced in the last 5 years. This correlates with the constancy or slight reduction in the number of the under-20-years population over this period. Comparison with deaths due to suicide in Prussia (1894-1897) indicates that suicide in children and juveniles is not more common today than it was nearly a hundred years ago. Hanging and suffocation are the most frequent means, followed by poisoning. Less common are jumping from a height, shooting, drowning or stabbing. Cause of the suicide attempt is usually a disturbed relationship to a partner. Acute quarrel with parents dominates. The psychopathological background is abnormal reactions to experience and abnormal reactions to conflict. Neurosis and psychosis or infantile reactions are much less common.

Altered response of cervical and vaginal epithelia to oestradiol benzoate in ewes after prolonged exposure to oestrogenic pasture.

Ovariectomized ewes, 10 clover disease infertility and 10 controls, were injected daily for 3 days with 25 micrograms oestradiol benzoate. At the end of this period, the Spinnbarkeit of cervical mucus and the keratinization of the vaginal epithelium were less in the infertile ewes. It is suggested that the infertility in clover-affected ewes is due to an inability of target organs to give a continued response to the 'priming' action of oestrogen.

Changes in oestradiol-17beta binding in the hypothalami and pituitary glands of persistently infertile ewes previously exposed to oestrogenic subterranean clover: evidence of alterations to oestradiol receptors.

The binding of [3H]oestradiol-17beta to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland of clover-affected permanently infertile and control ovariectomized ewes was compared in vivo and in vitro. When [3H]oestradiol-17beta was infused into the carotid artery (10 ng/min), the total homogenate and the nuclear and protamine-precipitable cytosol fractions of hypothalami and pituitary glands from clover-affected ewes bound significantly more[3H]oestradiol than those of the controls. Cytoplasmic oestradiol-17beta receptors from the pituitary glands of clover-affected ewes showed a significantly lower apparent association constant and a higher number of binding sites/mg protein in vitro. It is suggested that the hypothalami and pituitary glands of ewes made permanently infertile by oestrogenic clover are less sensitive to feedback regulation of oestradiol-17beta at physiological levels.