Great.
Great.
I don't know anything specifically about VX, but if the info in the article is accurate, it's probably an organophosphate. Like a pesticide, only much, much worse. It works by stopping the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine (ACh), a neurotransmitter, after the body doesn't need the ACh anymore.
Atropine blocks the action of ACh at the receptors, which helps counter the effects of the accumulated ACh. If VX is one of the particularly nasty ones, which it seems to be, it chemically changes the enzyme that would have gotten rid of the ACh so you also need administration of pralidoxime because it can chemically reactivate some of the enzyme, if you are given it quickly enough. Otherwise chemistry happens and it won't work. Not a nice way to go.
And people are just casually walking around with this stuff. Thrillsville.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/north-korea-s-kim-jong-nam-killed-vx-most-toxic-n725131
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/north-korea-s-kim-jong-nam-killed-vx-most-toxic-n725131
I don't know anything specifically about VX, but if the info in the article is accurate, it's probably an organophosphate. Like a pesticide, only much, much worse. It works by stopping the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine (ACh), a neurotransmitter, after the body doesn't need the ACh anymore.
Atropine blocks the action of ACh at the receptors, which helps counter the effects of the accumulated ACh. If VX is one of the particularly nasty ones, which it seems to be, it chemically changes the enzyme that would have gotten rid of the ACh so you also need administration of pralidoxime because it can chemically reactivate some of the enzyme, if you are given it quickly enough. Otherwise chemistry happens and it won't work. Not a nice way to go.
And people are just casually walking around with this stuff. Thrillsville.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/north-korea-s-kim-jong-nam-killed-vx-most-toxic-n725131
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/north-korea-s-kim-jong-nam-killed-vx-most-toxic-n725131
Everything I know about VX I learned from watching The Rock.
ReplyDelete"Polonium?! FUCK polonium! Use nerve gas!"
ReplyDeleteI only vaguely recall that movie, but I believe it had some scientific issues.
ReplyDeleteYou don't say.
ReplyDelete