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THE EFFECTS OF DIMERCAPTOSUCCINIC ACID ON THE EXCRETION AND DISTRIBUTION OF MERCURY IN RATS AND MICE TREATED WITH MERCURIC CHLORIDE AND METHYLMERCURY CHLORIDE
Author(s) -
MAGOS L.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1976.tb07460.x
Subject(s) - dimercaptosuccinic acid , chemistry , excretion , methylmercury , mercury (programming language) , intraperitoneal injection , toxicity , chloride , medicine , urinary system , endocrinology , pharmacology , biochemistry , environmental chemistry , bioaccumulation , organic chemistry , computer science , programming language
1 All five rats in a group survived if dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), a water soluble derivative of 2,3‐dimercaptopropanol (BAL), was given in doses of 10–40 mg/kg intraperitoneally 30 min, 4 and 24 h after administration of 2.4 mg/kg Hg as HgCl 2 , whereas three out of a group of five died if DMSA was not given. DMSA 20 mg/kg increased urinary excretion and decreased the body burden significantly more than 10 mg/kg DMSA, but further doubling of the dose had only marginal effects. 2 DMSA was able to reduce body burden and increase urinary excretion of Hg when intraperitoneal treatment started eight days after the subcutaneous administration of HgCl 2 . 3 DMSA was effective in decreasing body burden and the brain concentration of Hg in rats dosed orally with methylmercury (MeHgCl) when intraperitoneal treatment started with 40 mg/kg DMSA 24 h after Hg. Increase in the urinary excretion of mercury was responsible for the decrease in body burden. 4 DMSA was effective when given in the drinking water of rats or mice both against inorganic Hg and MeHgCl. In mice treated intraperitoneally with MeHgCl, DMSA 19.5 μg/ml in the drinking water caused a significant decrease in the body burden and increase in the excretion of Hg. 5 DMSA was about four times more efficient than d ‐penicillamine in decreasing the body burden of Hg. As their toxicity is in the same range, the higher efficiency of DMSA offers a larger margin of safety for the mobilization of Hg.