Cantharidin poisoning has been proven to cause multiple organ damage. Acute circulatory failure, acute renal failure, and multiple organ failure resulting from cantharidin poisoning are the main causes of death for patients with cantharidin poisoning. However, research on the damage of main target organs and mechanism of cantharidin poisoning is not clear. This paper reviews the latest toxicological and pathological research literatures at home and abroad related to cantharidin poisoning and comprehensively summarizes the latest research progress on the toxicological and pathological damage and mechanism of the digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system, urinary system, reproductive system, skin mucosa, immune system, and nervous system after cantharidin poisoning, to provide reference for improving the molecular toxicological mechanism of cantharidin poisoning and decision-making in the clinical intervention of cantharidin poisoning.
Cantharidin ; Humans ; Poisoning

The pathologic changes of verrucae and molluscum contagiosum are limitted chiefly to epidermis, therefore treatment with cantharidin which forms acantholytic bulla is successful. Canthrides is dried, powdered blister beetle, and cantharidin is its purified active ingredient. Its primary cutaneous effect is acantholysis and death of epidermal cells. For topical treatment, catharidin was prepared as a 0.9% solution in mixture of 50% of acetone, 25% of ether and 25% flexibIe collodion U.S.P. The therapeutic efficacy of cantharidin was excellent to eliminate the lesions of verrucae and molluscum contagiosum, showing the complete recovery of 114 out of 117 lesions of verrucae, and 520 out of 550 lesions of molluscum contagiosum with 1 to 3 topical applications. From the above results, it should be pointed out that cantharidin has the several advantages at clinical uses for the treatment of verrucae and molluscum contagiosum: 1 No residual scarring. 2. No pain. 3. Excellent therapeut!c efficacy.
Acantholysis ; Acetone ; Beetles ; Blister ; Cantharidin* ; Cicatrix ; Collodion ; Epidermis ; Ether ; Molluscum Contagiosum* ; Warts*

OBJECTIVETo study the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of cantharidin in beagle dogs to evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters and bioavailability of cantharidin in beagle dogs by determining dose-time curve and by comparing with the pharmacokinetics of cantharidin injection.

METHODSix beagle dogs, after protein precipitation by hydrochloric acid, ethyl acetate was applied to extract cantharidin from plasma The plasma concentration of cantharidin in beagle dogs was determined by GC-MS. The WinNonLin program was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters and bioavailability.

RESULTThe main pharmacokinetic parameters of cantharidin by iv in dogs (34 mL x h(-1) x kg(-1)) were AUC (203.5 +/- 23.8) h x microg x L(-1), CL (168.8 +/- 18.6) mL x h(-1) x kg(-1), t1/2 (0.69 +/- 0.03) h. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of cantharidin by op (102 microg x kg(-1)) were: AUC (160.4 +/- 26.9) h x microg x L(-1), CL (649.1 +/- 97.7) mL x h(-1) x kg(-1), t1/2 (0.38 +/- 0.1) h., F (bioavailability) = 26.7% comparing to injection.

CONCLUSIONAs compared with cantharidin injection, the absorption of catharidin by op is poor and the bioavailability is also low, indicating that enhancement of the bioavailability will be beneficial to the clinical application.

Animals ; Biological Availability ; Cantharidin ; pharmacokinetics ; Coleoptera ; chemistry ; Dogs ; Male ; Models, Animal

The increase of the eosinophil leukocytes can be taken as a sign of an allergic reaction it might be a helpful means for obtaining information on the etiology of diseases, therefore, examinations for eosinophil leukocytes in Cantharidin blisters was undertaken in normals and with various skin disorders. 1. In 30 healthy suhjects, blister eontained 56.47+42.5/mm3 of eosinophil leucocytes, and 80% of them never exceeded 66/mm3 of eosinophil leucocytes. 2. The highest eosinophil leukocytes among the various dermatoses was seen contact dermatitis (93.07+40.3/mm3) and drug eruption (92.17+21.1/mm3), atopic dermatitis (75.37+41.0/mm3), and chronic urticaria (72.28+24.2/mm3) were followed in order. 3. The eosinophil leukocytes were slightly increased in psoriasis vulgaris (69.14+29.9/mm3) and herpes zoster (63.25+20.4/mm3). 4. The eosinophil leucocytes were markedly increased in the skin disorders of allergic nature and slightly in non-allergic skin disorders.
Blister* ; Cantharidin* ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Drug Eruptions ; Eosinophils* ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Leukocytes ; Psoriasis ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Urticaria

The paper summarizes the research progress on the medicinal resources of Mylabris and close origin species in recent years. Besides the 45 species in 7 genus within Meloidae insects which contain cantharidin, there are also more 9 species in 7 close origin genus containing cantharidin which include Zanna, Fulgora and Lycorma within Fulgoridae of Homoptera, Oxocopis, Heliocis Xanthochroa and Oedemera within Oedemeridae of Coleoptera. New medicinal resources of cantharidin are redundant, there are biological relationships in the biosynthesis of cantharidin, the emerge of cantharidin is related to ecology and there is more attention on the new methods of utilizing Mylabris resources such as living body extraction.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Breeding ; Cantharidin ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Coleoptera ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Phylogeny

OBJECTIVESTo establish a HPLC method for determination of N-methylcantharidimide in dogs' plasma and to study the pharmacokinetics of N-methylcantharidimide in dogs'.

METHODThe plasma samples were extracted by methanol. The acetonitrile and the purified water composed mobile phase. The flow rate was 0. 7 mL x min(-1), ultraviolet detection wavelength was at 212 nm.

RESULTThe calibration curve was linear over the range from 0.01-10.0 mg x L(-1) with a correlation coefficiency of 0.996 3. The lower limit of quantitation was 0.01 mg x L(-1). The mean recovery was 92.3%. the relative standard deviation (RSD) of intra-day and inter-day were all less than 10%. After intravenous administration of N-methylcantharidimide with 3 dosages of 10, 15, 20 mg x kg(-1) to dogs, the corresponding distribution half-livers (t1/2alpha) were 1.8, 2.1, 1.7 min, and the elimination half-lives (t1/2beta) were 144,139, 146 min, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThis method is convenient, accurate and reliable. It can be used for determination of N-methylcantharidimide in dogs' plasma and pharmacokinetic studies.

Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Cantharidin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Dogs ; Female ; Isoindoles ; administration & dosage ; blood ; Male

OBJECTIVETo study the preparation of cantharidin entrapped non-ionic surfactant vesicle (noisome)and evaluate its quality.

METHODThe niosome loaded with cantharidin was prepared using injection method by non-ionic surfactants as the carrier. An centrifugation separation method and HPLC analysis method of the cantharidin were established to detect the entrapment efficiency. The optimum preparation technology was established by a orthogonal experiment. The morphology, and particle size were studied to evaluate the preparation.

RESULTThe average size of niosomes were (209. 8 +/- 0.5) nm. The entrapment efficiency of the CTD-NS was (27.5% +/- 2.0%) and Zeta potential was (41.5 +/- 0.65) mV.

CONCLUSIONThe preparation of cantharidin noisome by TweenA and SpanB is practicable and successful. These experiments can be the basement of developing targeting drug delivery system.

Cantharidin ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Liposomes ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Surface-Active Agents ; administration & dosage

Adult ; Aged ; Cantharidin ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; therapy ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Portal Vein ; Treatment Outcome

Adenosine Triphosphate ; metabolism ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cantharidin ; pharmacokinetics ; Cell Hypoxia ; drug effects ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Flow Cytometry ; Kidney Tubules ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Swine

OBJECTIVETo investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of cantharidin in human lung cancer cells A549 and its molecular mechanisms.

METHODSMTT assay was used to determine A549 cells proliferation. Light and electron microscopy, FACScan, Annexin V-FITC staining and DNA gel electrophoresis were used to detect apoptosis. The expression of bcl-2, Bax and survivin were examined by Western blot.

RESULTSCantharidin inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells. The cells treated with cantharidin showed a typical apoptotic morphology and hypodiploid peak before G(1) phase. Flow cytometry analysis with annexin quantitatively further confirmed the increase of cell apoptosis. DNA of treated A549 cells depicted a ladder pattern characteristic of apoptosis, indicating the presence of DNA fragmentation. Western blot assay showed that cantharidin increased the level of Bax expression and inhibited the level of bcl-2 and survivin expression.

CONCLUSIONCantharidin can induce A549 cells apoptosis mainly via regulation of Bax, bcl-2 and survivin expression.

Adenocarcinoma ; pathology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cantharidin ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Neoplasm Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; biosynthesis ; genetics