Definition of picrotoxin in English:

noun

• A bitter compound used to stimulate the respiratory and nervous system, especially in treating barbiturate poisoning.

  This toxin is obtained from the seeds of the shrub Anamirta cocculus (family Menispermaceae)

  Example sentences

  • ‘When the synapses of these inhibitory neurons are blocked by drugs (such as of picrotoxin or penicillin), the excitatory network can sustain a chain reaction leading to an epileptiform discharge.’
  • ‘The cellular mechanisms underlying picrotoxin-induced convulsive activity were studied by using mouse spinal neurons growing in tissue culture.’
  • ‘The only synaptic feedback to the pyloric pacemaker group through the EP to PD inhibitory synapse was removed by applying 10-5 M picrotoxin in the bath.’
  • ‘Picrotoxin eliminates frequency selectivity of an auditory interneuron in a bushcricket.’