Symptoms
Symptoms of pergolide overdose include nausea, vomiting, convulsions, decreased blood pressure, and CNS stimulation. Convulsive ergotism can cause painful seizures and spasms, diarrhea, paresthesias, itching, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Usually the gastrointestinal effects precede the central nervous system effects. As well as seizures there can be hallucinations and mental effects including mania or psychosis. Gangrenous ergotism causes dry gangrene as a result of vasoconstriction induced in the more poorly vascularized distal structures, such as the fingers and toes. Symptoms include desquamation, weak periphery pulse, loss of peripheral sensation, edema and ultimately the death and loss of affected tissues. (L1920, L1570)
Treatment
Management of overdosage may require supportive measures to maintain arterial blood pressure. Cardiac function should be monitored; an antiarrhythmic agent may be necessary. If signs of CNS stimulation are present, a phenothiazine or other butvronhenone neuroleptic agent may be indicated; the efficacy of such drugs in reversing the effects of overdose has not been assessed. Absorption of drugs from the gastrointestinal tract may be decreased by giving activated charcoal, which, in many cases, is more effective than emesis or lavage; consider charcoal instead of or in addition to gastric emptying. Treatment for ergotism consists of vasodilators, anticoagulants and low molecular weight dextrans. If necessary, a sympathetic nerve blockade may be carried out, such as brachial plexus blockad...
Toxicity Data
LD50: 15 mg/kg (Oral, Rat) (A308)
Health Effects
Ingestion of ergoline alkaloids is known to cause the disease ergotism. Ergotism occurs in two forms, gangrenous and convulsive, likely depending on the different kinds and amounts of ergoline alkaloids present. The use of pergolide has been shown to increase the risk of cardiac valvular disease. It also increases the risk of fibrotic complications including pulmonary, pleural, and/or retroperitoneal fibrosis, pericarditis, pleuritis, and pericardial and/or pleural effusions. (A2913, L1570)
Hepatotoxicity
Likelihood score: E* (unproven but suspected cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
Exposure Routes
Oral (L1929)
Toxicity Summary
The dopamine D<sub>2</sub> receptor is a 7-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptor associated with G<sub>i</sub> proteins. In lactotrophs, stimulation of dopamine D<sub>2</sub> receptor causes inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, which decreases intracellular cAMP concentrations and blocks IP3-dependent release of Ca<sup>2+</sup> from intracellular stores. Decreases in intracellular calcium levels may also be brought about via inhibition of calcium influx through voltage-gated calcium channels, rather than via inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. Additionally, receptor activation blocks phosphorylation of p42/p44 MAPK and decreases MAPK/ERK kinase phosphorylation. Inhibition of MAPK appears to be mediated by c-Raf and B-Raf-dependent inhibition of MAPK/ERK kinase. Dopamine-stimulated growth horm...
Carcinogen Classification
No indication of carcinogenicity to humans (not listed by IARC).
Drug Induced Liver Injury
References: DOI:10.1016/j.drudis.2019.09.022