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What Causes Muscle Spasms Which Interfere With Movement And Breathing?
Gregor, who works at a pesticide factory, comes to t he clinic complaining of muscle spasms that interfere with his movement and breathing. A blood test shows that he has been contaminated with organophosphate pesticide, which is an acetylocholinesterase inhibitor. How would you explain to Gregor what this means?
Mon, 19 Jan 2015
Dear patient
For normal function of muscle our body has got neuromuscular junction at which nerve signals are transmitted to muscles. For this transmission to occur acetylcholine is the transmitter. Now acetyl choline is destroyed by enzyme acetylcholine esterase enzyme which is also secreted at neuromuscular junction and controls it's function. In op poisoning acetylcholine esterase enzyme function is hampered and leads to accumulation of acetylcholine and hence sustained muscle spasms and difficulty in breathing.
For normal function of muscle our body has got neuromuscular junction at which nerve signals are transmitted to muscles. For this transmission to occur acetylcholine is the transmitter. Now acetyl choline is destroyed by enzyme acetylcholine esterase enzyme which is also secreted at neuromuscular junction and controls it's function. In op poisoning acetylcholine esterase enzyme function is hampered and leads to accumulation of acetylcholine and hence sustained muscle spasms and difficulty in breathing.
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