Meso- and racemic-DMSA as Antidotes in Heavy Metal Poisoning
Abstract
Lead, cadmium and mercury, well-known toxic metals, could be used in a chemical terrorist attack. Chelating agents are the only antidotes that promote toxic metals elimination from the body. At present meso-l,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (meso-DMSA) is the optimal officially accepted antidote in lead or mercury poisoning that can be used orally. However, a racemic form of DMSA (rac-DMSA) seems to have higher stability constants with toxic metals than meso-DMSA but has not been yet thoroughly studied in vivo and is not in human use. The results of our investigations presented in this paper have been obtained in experimental animal models in vivo to compare the efficacy of the mobilising potency of these two chelating agents in reducing toxic metal body retention. The efficiency of these two DMSA isomers was tested after lead, mercury or cadmium poisoning in laboratory rats (female Wistar rats). Chelating therapy was started either immediately after or 3 to 5 days following metal application and lasted 2-4 days. Toxic metals were given either as a stable elements (Pb) or as radioactive isotopes (203 Hg or 109Cd). At the end of the experiment stable lead was analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry (in tissues) and radioactive isotopes by measuring radioactivity in scintillation counters (separately in whole body and internal organs). Number of animals per group in each experiment was 8 to 11. The results were statistically evaluated by one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Duncan's multiple range test (at P<0.05).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADP013383
Entities
People
- Krista Kostial
- Maja Blanusa
- Mark M. Jones
- Martina Piasek
- Pramod K. Singh
Organizations
- Institute for Medical Research