Orellanine is a nephrotoxic (nephros is Greek for kidney, you do the math) dipyridine possessing positively charged nitrogen atoms that is produced by several species of mushrooms belonging to the genus Cortinarius. Members of this genus are gilled mushrooms that grow in association with plants (i.e. are mycorrhizal) and have their gills protectively covered by a cottony cortina (veil or curtain, not to be confused with the Google Image-hogging vehicleof the same name) that spans between their pileus (cap) and stipe (stem) when they are but wee little shroomies. Known producers of the toxin include C. rubellus (deadly webcap), C. orellanus(fool’s webcap), and a bunch more. Some of these are found in Europe, others in North America (most commonly in the fall), meaning that no one in the Western world is safe. These poisonous species are occasionally confused with edible or psychedelic mushrooms, resulting in sweet, sweet natural selection.
It has been estimated that the consumption of only 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of fresh C. orellanus is necessary to utterly destroy ones’ kidney! Orellanine kills people by accumulating in the renal tubules of their kidneys and somehow selectively damaging this part of the organs to the point that they stop working (acute renal failure), an event that usually takes two to three weeks after the onset of symptoms to occur (okay, make that delayed acute renal failure). Unusually, the onset of symptoms (initially and unfortunately flu-like in nature) is typically delayed up to 3 to 4 days after mushroom consumption in severe cases, and up to three weeks in milder cases. If they don’t die outright, about one-third to half of all those poisoned by orellanine develop chronic renal failure and may require dialysis or kidney transplant.
Like aflatoxins, which are mycotoxins produced by Aspergillusmoulds that rank among the most carcinogenic chemicals known to man, orellanine is fluorescent, making it a blast at glow-in-the-dark mini putt. Similarly-structured substances include the herbicides paraquat and diquat, which are both toxic to humans. Paraquat is particularly nasty, accumulating in and causing progressive destruction of the lungs in a manner similar to how orellanine savages the kidneys.
- Berger KJ, Guss DA. Mycotoxins revisited: Part II. J Emerg Med. 2005 Feb;28(2):175-83. Review.
- Nilsson UA, Nyström J, Buvall L, Ebefors K, Björnson-Granqvist A, Holmdahl J, Haraldsson B. The fungal nephrotoxin orellanine simultaneously increases oxidative stress and down-regulates cellular defenses. Free Radic Biol Med. 2008 Apr 15;44(8):1562-9. Epub 2008 Jan 31.
Dusum Khyenpa was a master level practitioner of Tibeten lucid dream yoga.
The same can be said of dead forgers who can’t keep their hands to themselves, Eames. >.>
Follow the steps below for proper calibration of your pipettor.
Dmitri Mendeleev’s 1869 Periodic Table.
first thing i do back home from a trip is kick eames’ ass in a game of chemistry chess.
(via iloverav-emusic)
someday, i will be this organized.
(via crazedchemist)
An amalgam of chemistry, cats, and miscellany.
