WA monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fear. Monsters usually resemble bizarre, deformed, otherworldly and/or mutated animals or entirely unique creatures of varying sizes, but may also take a human form, such as mutants, ghosts and spirits, zombies or cannibals, among other things. They may or may not have supernatural powers, but are usually capable of killing or causing some form of destruction, threatening the social or moral order of the human world in the process.
WAflatoxin B1 is an aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. It is a very potent carcinogen with a TD50 3.2 μg/kg/day in rats. This carcinogenic potency varies across species with some, such as rats and monkeys, seemingly much more susceptible than others. Aflatoxin B1 is a common contaminant in a variety of foods including peanuts, cottonseed meal, corn, and other grains; as well as animal feeds. Aflatoxin B1 is considered the most toxic aflatoxin and it is highly implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in humans. In animals, aflatoxin B1 has also been shown to be mutagenic, teratogenic, and to cause immunosuppression. Several sampling and analytical methods including thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), among others, have been used to test for aflatoxin B1 contamination in foods. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the worldwide maximum tolerated levels of aflatoxin B1 was reported to be in the range of 1–20 μg/kg in food, and 5–50 μg/kg in dietary cattle feed in 2003.
WAgent Orange is a herbicide and defoliant chemical, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It is widely known for its use by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It is a mixture of equal parts of two herbicides, 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D. In addition to its damaging environmental effects, traces of dioxin found in the mixture have caused major health problems for many individuals who were exposed, and their offspring.
WAlcohol, sometimes referred to by the chemical name ethanol, is a psychoactive drug that is the active ingredient in drinks such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits. It is one of the oldest and most common recreational substances, causing the characteristic effects of alcohol intoxication ("drunkenness"). Among other effects, alcohol produces happiness and euphoria, decreased anxiety, increased sociability, sedation, impairment of cognitive, memory, motor, and sensory function, and generalized depression of central nervous system function. Ethanol is only one of several types of alcohol, but it is the only type of alcohol that is found in alcoholic beverages or commonly used for recreational purposes; other alcohols such as methanol and isopropyl alcohol are significantly more toxic. A mild, brief exposure to isopropanol, being only moderately more toxic than ethanol, is unlikely to cause any serious harm. Methanol, being profoundly more toxic than ethanol, is lethal in quantities as small as 10–15 milliliters.
WAlcohol use in pregnancy includes use of alcohol at any time during gestation, including the time before a mother-to-be is aware that she is pregnant. Alcohol use at some point during pregnancy is common and appears to be rising in prevalence.
WAnagyrine is a teratogenic alkaloid commonly found in many species of Lupinus plants. The toxin can cause crooked calf disease if a cow ingests the plant during certain periods of pregnancy.
WArsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, but only the gray form, which has a metallic appearance, is important to industry.
WArsenic tribromide is the inorganic compound with the formula AsBr3. This pyramidal molecule is the only known binary arsenic bromide. AsBr3 is noteworthy for its very high refractive index of approximately 2.3. It also has a very high diamagnetic susceptibility. The compound exists as colourless deliquescent crystals that fume in moist air.
WBenzene is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar ring with one hydrogen atom attached to each. Because it contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms, benzene is classed as a hydrocarbon.
WCocaine is a tropane alkaloid and stimulant drug obtained primarily from the leaves of two coca species, Erythroxylum coca and Erythroxylum novogranatense. It is most commonly used as a recreational drug and euphoriant. After extraction from coca leaves, cocaine may be snorted, heated until sublimated and then inhaled, or dissolved and injected into a vein. Mental effects may include an intense feeling of happiness, sexual arousal, loss of contact with reality, or agitation. Physical symptoms may include a fast heart rate, sweating, and dilated pupils. High doses can result in high blood pressure or body temperature. Effects begin within seconds to minutes of use and last between five and ninety minutes.
WCyclopamine (11-deoxojervine) is a naturally occurring chemical that belongs in the family of steroidal alkaloids. It is a teratogen isolated from the corn lily that causes fatal birth defects. It prevents the embryonic brain from separating into two lobes, which in turn causes the development of a single eye (cyclopia). The chemical was named after this effect, as it was originally noted by Idaho lamb farmers who contacted the US Department of Agriculture after their herds gave birth to cycloptic lambs in 1957. It then took more than a decade to identify the corn lily as the culprit. Later work suggested that different rain patterns caused the sheep to graze differently, impacting the amount of corn lily ingested by pregnant sheep. The poison interrupts the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway during development, thus causing birth defects.
WCytisine, also known as baptitoxine and sophorine, is an alkaloid that occurs naturally in several plant genera, such as Laburnum and Cytisus of the family Fabaceae. It has been used medically to help with smoking cessation. Although widely used for smoking cessation in Eastern Europe, cytisine remains relatively unknown beyond it. However, it has been found effective in several randomized clinical trials, including some in the United States and a large one in New Zealand, and is currently being investigated in additional trials in the United States and a non-inferiority trial in Australia in which it is being compared head-to-head with the smoking cessation aid varenicline.
WDacarbazine (DTIC), also known as imidazole carboxamide, is a chemotherapy medication used in the treatment of melanoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma. For Hodgkin's it is often used together with vinblastine, bleomycin, and doxorubicin. It is given by injection into a vein.
WDanazol, sold as Danocrine and other brand names, is a medication used in the treatment of endometriosis, fibrocystic breast disease, hereditary angioedema and other conditions. It is taken by mouth.
WDevelopmental toxicity is any structural or functional alteration, reversible or irreversible, which interferes with homeostasis, normal growth, differentiation, development or behavior, and which is caused by environmental insult. It is the study of adverse effects on the development of the organism resulting from exposure to toxic agents before conception, during prenatal development, or post-natally until puberty. The substance that causes developmental toxicity from embryonic stage to birth is called teratogens. The effect of the developmental toxicants depends on the type of substance, dose and duration and time of exposure.
WDiethylstilbestrol (DES), also known as stilbestrol or stilboestrol, is a nonsteroidal estrogen medication, which is presently rarely used. In the past, it was widely used for a variety of indications, including pregnancy support for women with a history of recurrent miscarriage, hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms and estrogen deficiency in women, treatment of prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women, and other uses. By 2007, it was only used in the treatment of prostate cancer and breast cancer. In 2011, Hoover and colleagues reported on adverse health outcomes linked to DES including infertility, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, preterm birth, stillbirth, infant death, menopause prior to age 45, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and vaginal cancer. In 2020 the GoodRx and Walgreens' sites do not list diethylstilbestrol. While most commonly taken by mouth, DES was available for use by other routes as well, for instance, vaginal, topical, and by injection.
WDoxorubicin, sold under the brand name Adriamycin among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat cancer. This includes breast cancer, bladder cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, lymphoma, and acute lymphocytic leukemia. It is often used together with other chemotherapy agents. Doxorubicin is given by injection into a vein.
WDutasteride, sold under the brand name Avodart among others, is a medication primarily used to treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. A few months may be required before benefits occur. It is also used for scalp hair loss in men and as a part of hormone therapy in transgender women. It is taken orally.
WEndosulfan is an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being phased out globally. It became a highly controversial agrichemical due to its acute toxicity, potential for bioaccumulation, and role as an endocrine disruptor. Because of its threats to human health and the environment, a global ban on the manufacture and use of endosulfan was negotiated under the Stockholm Convention in April 2011. The ban has taken effect in mid-2012, with certain uses exempted for five additional years. More than 80 countries, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, several West African nations, the United States, Brazil, and Canada had already banned it or announced phase-outs by the time the Stockholm Convention ban was agreed upon. It is still used extensively in India, China despite laws banning it, and few other countries. It is produced by Makhteshim Agan and several manufacturers in India and China. Although, the Supreme Court had, by an order dated 13.05.2011, put a ban on the production and sale of endosulfan in India till further orders.
WEthanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic chemical compound. It is a simple alcohol with the chemical formula C2H6O. Its formula can be also written as CH3−CH2−OH or C2H5OH (an ethyl group linked to a hydroxyl group), and is often abbreviated as EtOH. Ethanol is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid with a characteristic wine-like odor and pungent taste. It is a psychoactive drug, recreational drug, and the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks.
WEthyl methanesulfonate (EMS) is a mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic organic compound with formula C3H8SO3. It produces random mutations in genetic material by nucleotide substitution; particularly through G:C to A:T transitions induced by guanine alkylation. EMS typically produces only point mutations. Due to its potency and well understood mutational spectrum, EMS is the most commonly used chemical mutagen in experimental genetics. Mutations induced by EMS exposure can then be studied in genetic screens or other assays.
WFetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Symptoms can include an abnormal appearance, short height, low body weight, small head size, poor coordination, behavioural problems, learning difficulties, and problems with hearing and sight. Those affected are more likely to have trouble with school, the legal system, alcohol, other drugs, and other areas of high risk. The several forms of the condition are: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS), Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD),Static Encephalopathy, Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) and Neurobehavioral Disorder associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (ND-PAE). Some authorities accept only FAS as a diagnosis, seeing the evidence as inconclusive with respect to other types.
WFinasteride, sold under the brand names Proscar and Propecia among others, is a medication used to treat hair loss and benign prostatic hyperplasia in men. It can also be used to treat excessive hair growth in women and as a part of hormone therapy for transgender women. It is taken by mouth.
WGlasdegib, sold under the brand name Daurismo, is a medication for the treatment of newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults older than 75 years or those who have comorbidities that preclude use of intensive induction chemotherapy. It is taken by mouth and is used in combination with low-dose cytarabine.
WHexachlorophene, also known as Nabac, is an organochlorine compound that was once widely used as a disinfectant. The compound occurs as a white odorless solid, although commercial samples can be off-white and possess a slightly phenolic odor. It is insoluble in water but dissolves in acetone, ethanol, diethyl ether, and chloroform. In medicine, hexachlorophene is useful as a topical anti-infective, anti-bacterial agent, often used in soaps and toothpaste. It is also used in agriculture as a soil fungicide, plant bactericide, and acaricide.
WImmunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs) are a class of immunomodulatory drugs containing an imide group. The IMiD class includes thalidomide and its analogues (lenalidomide, pomalidomide, and iberdomide. These drugs may also be referred to as 'Cereblon modulators'. Cereblon is the protein targeted by this class of drugs.
WJervine is a steroidal alkaloid with molecular formula C27H39NO3 which is derived from the plant genus Veratrum. Similar to cyclopamine, which also occurs in the genus Veratrum, it is a teratogen implicated in birth defects when consumed by animals during a certain period of their gestation.
WLisinopril is a medication of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and is considered to be a gold standard drug in the treatment of high blood pressure, and is also used to treat heart failure and after heart attacks. For high blood pressure it is usually a first line treatment. It is also used to prevent kidney problems in people with diabetes mellitus. Lisinopril is taken by mouth. Full effect may take up to four weeks to occur. Within the ACE Inhibitor class, Lisinopril has shown to have less interindividual variability within the drugs, making it a preferable choice for patients with angina and hypertension.
WMebendazole (MBZ) is a medication used to treat a number of parasitic worm infestations. This includes ascariasis, pinworm infection, hookworm infections, guinea worm infections, hydatid disease, and giardia, among others. It is taken by mouth.
WMirex was an organochloride that was commercialized as an insecticide and later banned because of its impact on the environment. This white crystalline odorless solid is a derivative of cyclopentadiene. It was popularized to control fire ants but by virtue of its chemical robustness and lipophilicity it was recognized as a bioaccumulative pollutant. The spread of the red imported fire ant was encouraged by the use of Mirex, which also kills native ants that are highly competitive with the fire ants. The United States Environmental Protection Agency prohibited its use in 1976. It is prohibited by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
WNicotine is a chiral alkaloid that is naturally produced in the nightshade family of plants and is widely used recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As a pharmaceutical drug, it is used for smoking cessation to relieve withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine acts as a receptor agonist at most nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), except at two nicotinic receptor subunits where it acts as a receptor antagonist.
WOxcarbazepine, sold under the brand name Trileptal among others, is a medication used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. For epilepsy it is used for both focal seizures and generalized seizures. It has been used both alone and as add-on therapy in people with bipolar who have had no success with other treatments. It is taken by mouth.
WPhenytoin (PHT), sold under the brand name Dilantin among others, is an anti-seizure medication. It is useful for the prevention of tonic-clonic seizures and focal seizures, but not absence seizures. The intravenous form, fosphenytoin, is used for status epilepticus that does not improve with benzodiazepines. It may also be used for certain heart arrhythmias or neuropathic pain. It can be taken intravenously or by mouth. The intravenous form generally begins working within 30 minutes and is effective for 24 hours. Blood levels can be measured to determine the proper dose.
WRubella, also known as German measles or three-day measles, is an infection caused by the rubella virus. This disease is often mild with half of people not realizing that they are infected. A rash may start around two weeks after exposure and last for three days. It usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. The rash is sometimes itchy and is not as bright as that of measles. Swollen lymph nodes are common and may last a few weeks. A fever, sore throat, and fatigue may also occur. Joint pain is common in adults. Complications may include bleeding problems, testicular swelling, encephalitis, and inflammation of nerves. Infection during early pregnancy may result in a miscarriage or a child born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Symptoms of CRS manifest as problems with the eyes such as cataracts, deafness, as well as affecting the heart and brain. Problems are rare after the 20th week of pregnancy.
WSaridegib, also known as IPI-926, is an experimental drug candidate undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of various types of cancer, including hard-to-treat hematologic malignancies such as myelofibrosis and ligand-dependent tumors such as chondrosarcoma. IPI-926 exhibits its pharmacological effect by inhibition of the G protein-coupled receptor smoothened, a component of the hedgehog signaling pathway. Chemically, it is a semi-synthetic derivative of the alkaloid cyclopamine. The process begins with cyclopamine extracted from harvested Veratrum californicum which is taken through a series of alterations resulting in an analogue of the natural product cyclopamine, making IPI-926 the only compound in development/testing that is not fully synthetic.
WSB-236057 is a compound which is a potent and selective inverse agonist for the serotonin receptor 5-HT1B, acting especially at 5-HT1B autoreceptors on nerve terminals. It produces a rapid increase in serotonin levels in the brain, and was originally researched as a potential antidepressant. However subsequent research found that SB-236,057 also acts as a potent teratogen, producing severe musculoskeletal birth defects when rodents were exposed to it during pregnancy. This has made it of little use for research into its original applications, yet has made it useful for studying embryonic development instead.
WSelinexor sold under the brand name Xpovio among others, is a selective inhibitor of nuclear export used as an anti-cancer medication. It works by blocking the action of exportin 1 and thus blocking the transport of several proteins involved in cancer-cell growth from the cell nucleus to the cytoplasm, which ultimately arrests the cell cycle and leads to apoptosis. It is the first drug with this mechanism of action.
WSonidegib (INN), sold under the brand name Odomzo, is a medication used to treat cancer.
WTemozolomide (TMZ), sold under the brand name Temodar among others, is a medication used to treat some brain tumors such as glioblastoma multiforme or anaplastic astrocytoma. It is taken by mouth or via intravenous infusion.
WThalidomide, sold under the brand names Contergan and Thalomid among others, is a medication used to treat a number of cancers, graft-versus-host disease, and a number of skin conditions including complications of leprosy. While it has been used in a number of HIV-associated conditions, such use is associated with increased levels of the virus. It is administered orally.
WValproate (VPA) and its valproic acid, sodium valproate, and valproate semisodium forms are medications primarily used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder and prevent migraine headaches. They are useful for the prevention of seizures in those with absence seizures, partial seizures, and generalized seizures. They can be given intravenously or by mouth, and the tablet forms exist in both long- and short-acting formulations.
WVismodegib is a drug for the treatment of basal-cell carcinoma (BCC). The approval of vismodegib on January 30, 2012, represents the first Hedgehog signaling pathway targeting agent to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The drug is also undergoing clinical trials for metastatic colorectal cancer, small-cell lung cancer, advanced stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, medulloblastoma and chondrosarcoma as of June 2011. The drug was developed by the biotechnology/pharmaceutical company Genentech.
WWarfarin, sold under the brand name Coumadin among others, is a medication that is used as an anticoagulant. It is commonly used to treat blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and to prevent stroke in people who have atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease or artificial heart valves. Less commonly it is used following ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and orthopedic surgery. It is generally taken by mouth, but may also be used by injection into a vein.