Failure of the kidneys, liver, and spleen, leading to death.

Ingestion: If a significant amount is ingested, poisoning may present with: Poisoning can eventually lead to respiratory failure and death. Inhalation of ricin: Symptoms can develop from four to eight hours up to 24 hours after initial exposure.

Ricin poisoning can eventually lead to multiple organ failure, leading to death within 36-72 hours of exposure, depending on the dosage of ricin and mode of exposure. The effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether ricin was inhaled, ingested, or injected.

These data suggest that specific polyclonal antibodies against ricin A- and B-chain may reproducibly protect mice against ricin poisoning, even when the antibodies are administered up to 1.5 h after poisoning.What are the signs and symptoms of ricin poisoning? A clear protective effect of both anti-ricin A-chain and anti-ricin B-chain antibodies–but not of irrelevant antibodies–was demonstrated with no added effect of symptomatic treatment. The mouse model was reproducible and easy to use. Brain, heart, intestines, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, spleen, and stomach tissues were sampled for histopathological analysis. Also, the effect of adjuvant symptomatic treatment was examined. Antibody effect was evaluated for various doses and using various time points from ricin to antibody injection. Mice were then treated with injections of ricin and different combinations of polyclonal anti-ricin antibodies.

Mice were poisoned with a lethal dose of ricin (5 μg) and their temperature and general condition were monitored for determination of a surrogate and humane end point. For this reason, we developed ricin-specific antibodies that were tested in a murine model of ricin poisoning for use as antidotes against symptoms of ricin poisoning. Ricin is a potential bioterrorism agent and no specific antidote or treatment exists for ricin poisoning.

Ricin antidote