Lowest published toxic dose

Last updated

In toxicology, the lowest published toxic dose (Toxic Dose Low, TDLo) is the lowest dosage per unit of bodyweight (typically stated in milligrams per kilogram) of a substance known to have produced signs of toxicity in a particular animal species. [1] When quoting a TDLo, the particular species and method of administration (e.g. ingested, inhaled, intravenous) are typically stated.

The TDLo is different from the LD50 (lethal dose) which is the dose causing death in 50% of people who are exposed or who consume the substance. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

In toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 (abbreviation for "lethal dose, 50%"), LC50 (lethal concentration, 50%) or LCt50 is a toxic unit that measures the lethal dose of a given substance. The value of LD50 for a substance is the dose required to kill half the members of a tested population after a specified test duration. LD50 figures are frequently used as a general indicator of a substance's acute toxicity. A lower LD50 is indicative of increased toxicity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aconitine</span> Toxic plant alkaloid

Aconitine is an alkaloid toxin produced by various plant species belonging to the genus Aconitum, known also commonly by the names wolfsbane and monkshood. Monkshood is notorious for its toxic properties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toxicity</span> Degree of harmfulness of substances

Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell (cytotoxicity) or an organ such as the liver (hepatotoxicity). By extension, the word may be metaphorically used to describe toxic effects on larger and more complex groups, such as the family unit or society at large. Sometimes the word is more or less synonymous with poisoning in everyday usage.

The therapeutic index is a quantitative measurement of the relative safety of a drug. It is a comparison of the amount of a therapeutic agent that causes the therapeutic effect to the amount that causes toxicity. The related terms therapeutic window or safety window refer to a range of doses optimized between efficacy and toxicity, achieving the greatest therapeutic benefit without resulting in unacceptable side-effects or toxicity.

In toxicology, the lethal dose (LD) is an indication of the lethal toxicity of a given substance or type of radiation. Because resistance varies from one individual to another, the "lethal dose" represents a dose at which a given percentage of subjects will die. The lethal concentration is a lethal dose measurement used for gases or particulates. The LD may be based on the standard person concept, a theoretical individual that has perfectly "normal" characteristics, and thus not apply to all sub-populations.

Acute toxicity describes the adverse effects of a substance that result either from a single exposure or from multiple exposures in a short period of time. To be described as acute toxicity, the adverse effects should occur within 14 days of the administration of the substance.

Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS) is a database of toxicity information compiled from the open scientific literature without reference to the validity or usefulness of the studies reported. Until 2001 it was maintained by US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as a freely available publication. It is now maintained by the private company BIOVIA or from several value-added resellers and is available only for a fee or by subscription.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palytoxin</span> Chemical compound

Palytoxin, PTX or PLTX is an intense vasoconstrictor, and is considered to be one of the most poisonous non-protein substances known, second only to maitotoxin in terms of toxicity in mice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abrin</span> Chemical compound

Abrin is an extremely toxic toxalbumin found in the seeds of the rosary pea, Abrus precatorius. It has a median lethal dose of 0.7 micrograms per kilogram of body mass when given to mice intravenously. The median toxic dose for humans ranges from 10 to 1000 micrograms per kilogram when ingested and is 3.3 micrograms per kilogram when inhaled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theobromine poisoning</span> Overdose reaction to the xanthine alkaloid theobromine

Theobromine poisoning, also informally called chocolate poisoning or cocoa poisoning, is an overdosage reaction to the xanthine alkaloid theobromine, found in chocolate, tea, cola beverages, and some other foods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venomous snake</span> Species of the suborder Serpentes that produce venom

Venomous snakes are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow or grooved fangs, although some venomous snakes lack well-developed fangs. Common venomous snakes include the families Elapidae, Viperidae, Atractaspididae, and some of the Colubridae. The toxicity of venom is mainly indicated by murine LD50, while multiple factors are considered to judge the potential danger to humans. Other important factors for risk assessment include the likelihood that a snake will bite, the quantity of venom delivered with the bite, the efficiency of the delivery mechanism, and the location of a bite on the body of the victim. Snake venom may have both neurotoxic and hemotoxic properties. There are about 600 venomous snake species in the world.

Polyethoxylated tallow amine refers to a range of non-ionic surfactants derived from animal fats (tallow). They are a class of polyethoxylated amines (POEAs). The abbreviation 'POEA' is often erroneously used to refer to POE-tallowamine. They are used primarily as emulsifiers and wetting agents for agrochemical formulations, such as pesticides and herbicides.

"The dose makes the poison" is an adage intended to indicate a basic principle of toxicology. It is credited to Paracelsus who expressed the classic toxicology maxim "All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison." This is often condensed to: "The dose makes the poison" or in Latin, "Sola dosis facit venenum". It means that a substance can produce the harmful effect associated with its toxic properties only if it reaches a susceptible biological system within the body in a high enough concentration.

The protective index is a comparison of the amount of a therapeutic agent that causes the therapeutic effect to the amount that causes toxicity. Quantitatively, it is the ratio given by the toxic dose divided by the therapeutic dose. A protective index is the toxic dose of a drug for 50% of the population (TD50) divided by the minimum effective dose for 50% of the population (ED50). A high protective index is preferable to a low one: this corresponds to a situation in which one would have to take a much higher dose of a drug to reach the toxic threshold than the dose taken to elicit the therapeutic effect. A drug should ordinarily only be administered if the protective index is greater than one, indicating that the benefit outweighs the risk.

In toxicology, the median toxic dose (TD50) of a drug or toxin is the dose at which toxicity occurs in 50% of cases. The type of toxicity should be specified for this value to have meaning for practical purposes. The median toxic dose encompasses the category of toxicity that is greater than half maximum effective concentration (ED50) but less than the median lethal dose (LD50). However, for some highly potent toxins (ex. lofentanil, botulinum toxin) the difference between the ED50 and TD50 is so minute that the values assigned to them may be approximated to equal doses. Since toxicity need not be lethal, the TD50 is generally lower than the median lethal dose (LD50), and the latter can be considered an upper bound for the former. However, since the toxicity is above the effective limit, the TD50 is generally greater than the ED50. If the result of a study is a toxic effect that does not result in death, it is classified as this form of toxicity. Toxic effects can be defined differently, sometimes considering the therapeutic effect of a substance to be toxic (such as with chemotherapeutics) which can lead to confusion and contention regarding a substance's TD50. Examples of these toxic endpoints include cancer, blindness, anemia, and birth defects.

In pharmacology, an effective dose (ED) or effective concentration (EC) is the minimum dose or concentration of a drug that produces a biological response. The term "effective dose" is used when measurements are taken in vivo, while "effective concentration" is used when the measurements are taken in vitro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EPN (insecticide)</span> Chemical compound

EPN is an insecticide of the phosphonothioate class. It is used against pests such as European corn borer, rice stem borer, bollworm, tobacco budworm, and boll weevil.

Threshold dose is the minimum dose of drug that triggers minimal detectable biological effect in an animal. At extremely low doses, biological responses are absent for some of the drugs. The increase in dose above threshold dose induces an increase in the percentage of biological responses. Several benchmarks have been established to describe the effects of a particular dose of drug in a particular species, such as NOEL(no-observed-effect-level), NOAEL(no-observed-adverse-effect-level) and LOAEL(lowest-observed-adverse-effect-level). They are established by reviewing the available studies and animal studies. The application of threshold dose in risk assessment safeguards the participants in human clinical trials and evaluates the risks of chronic exposure to certain substances. However, the nature of animal studies also limits the applicability of experimental results in the human population and its significance in evaluating potential risk of certain substances. In toxicology, there are some other safety factors including LD50, LC50 and EC50.

References

  1. "CDC - Abbreviations for IDLH Documentation - NIOSH Publications and Products". www.cdc.gov. 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  2. "What is the difference between LD50 and TD50? | AAT Bioquest". www.aatbio.com. Retrieved 2023-10-06.