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Biomedical subjects

J Aaseth

Publications and source records attributed to J Aaseth.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Treatment of mercuric chloride poisoning with dimercaptosuccinic acid and diuretics: preliminary studies.

The distribution and excretion of mercury were studied in mice given a single injection of HgCl2 with or without chelation treatment. DMS (2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid) given intravenously (0.5 mmol SH/kg) to mice 24 h after the mercury injection reduced the kidney Hg level significantly, while NAPA (N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine) and BAL (2,3-dimercaptopropanol) did not. The effectivity of DMS to remove Hg from kidneys was comparable to that of BAL-sulph (2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonate), irrespective of whether these chelating agents were given orally or intravenously. Immediate chelation treatment with DMS or mercaptodextran reduced the renal Hg level to about 50% of control levels, as measured 3 d after the treatment. Combination of DMS with immediate intraperitoneal treatment with spironolactone was even more effective in reducing the renal levels, and acted both by increasing the fecal and urinary excretion. The DMS treatment, as well as DMS + spironolactone in combination, could protect against kidney damage following injection of 30 mumol HgCl2/kg. Such treatment was essentially nontoxic.

Animals↗

Effect of thiocarbamate derivatives on copper, zinc, and mercury distribution in rats and mice.

Oral treatment of rats with tetramethylthiuram disulphide (TMTDS), 0.1% mixed in the food (corresponding to 20--30 mumol daily) for one week, increased the brain levels of endogenous copper and zinc to 120% and 170%, respectively, of the control levels. Mice injected with HgCl2 (2.5 mumol/kg) were used to study further the effect of DDC (diethyldithiocarbamate), disulfiram, TMTDS or CS2 on heavy metal distribution. The brain levels of Hg were significantly increased in mice given DDC or TMTDS. Disulfiram and CS2 increased the brain levels marginally. Pregnant rats exposed to HgCl2 (0.5 mumol/kg) were also included in the studies. Treatment with DDC (0.5 mmol/kg) immediately after the mercury injection, increased the maternal brain concentration of mercury considerably, as measured after 24 and 78 h. The kidney levels were also increased. In the foetuses, the brain and liver levels were transiently increased after treatment with diethyldithiocarbamate. The observations support the hypothesis that the neurotoxicity of diethyldithiocarbamate and other thiocarbamates may be related to changes in heavy metal metabolism.

Animals↗

Evaluation of methyl mercury chelating agents using red blood cells and isolated hepatocytes.

The relative efficacy of thiol-containing mercurial scavengers was assayed by using cellular suspensions of erythrocytes or isolated hepatocytes. The blood cells incubated in a buffer (pH 7.4) containing 1 mM glucose (10% hematocrit) were exposed to 5 microM methyl mercuric chloride. In the absence of extracellular thiols the red blood cells took up more than 90% of methyl mercury from the surrounding medium during 5--10 min. This uptake was almost completely inhibited by dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) (1 mM) and the same chelant could rapidly remove 80% of the mercury from 'pre-loaded' erythrocytes. Hepatocytes prepared according to the method of Seglen [11] in a suspension of 10(6) cells/ml in a buffer containing 5 mM glucose and 5 mg/ml of bovine serum albumin were also exposed to methyl mercuric chloride (4 microM). Almost 50% of the mercurial was taken up by the cells slowly during the incubation period of 240 min. DMSA (1 mM) almost completely blocked the methyl mercury binding by the hepatocytes. 2-Mercaptopropionylglycin (Thiola) or mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) was almost as effective mercurial scavengers as DMSA in hepatocytes and in red blood cells. Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) and dimercaptopropanol (BAL) were considerably less effective than DMSA to inhibit the mercurial binding to hepatocytes. Experiments in vivo have shown that DMSA is a better mercurial chelator than Thiola or MSA, whereas DDC and BAL may both be considered to be inapplicable in methyl mercury poisonings. Our cellular assay provides preliminary information of the efficiency of chelating thiols and may serve as a useful first approximation when planning further experiments.

Adult↗

Hepatobiliary transport and organ distribution of silver in the rat as influenced by selenite.

Bile from rats injected with 110mAgNO3 (1 micromol/kg) were fractionated on Sephadex G-15 revealing binding of silver to one high molecular weight substance and one low molecular weight substance eluting corresponding to the void volume and glutathione (GSH) respectively. Fractionation of AgNO3 and GSH mixed in vitro gave rise to a polynuclear complex and a 1 : 1 complex of Ag+-GSH which both eluted corresponding to silver in bile. Depletion of GSH in the liver by diethylmaleate (3.9 mmol/kg) caused a parallel decrease in the biliary excretion of both silver and reduced GSH. These findings support the hypothesis that silver is excreted into bile by a GSH-dependent mechanism most likely using GSH as a carrier molecule. Selenite (1 micromol/kg) inhibited the biliary excretion of silver while AgNO3 (1 mumol/kg) did not influence the excretion of selenium into bile. Pretreatment with selenite (1 micromol/kg) also caused a retention of silver (AgNO3, 1 micromol/kg) in the blood, kidney and brain. The liver content of silver was decreased and the organ to plasma ratio of silver was unchanged for erythrocytes, but decreased for the brain, kidney and liver, respectively. The effects caused by selenite are attributed to the formation of Ag2Se complexes which are nearly water insoluble and probably unavailable for biliary excretion. Selenium metabolites (GSSeSG, GSSeH) which are excreted into bile are probably not available for complexing with Ag+.

Animals↗

Excretion of zinc in rat bile - a role of glutathione.

Fractionation of the bile from rats injected with 65ZnCl2 (5 mumol/kg) showed that zinc was mainly bound to low molecular weight compounds eluted corresponding to the zinc-glutathione complexes. Diethylmaleate (3.9 mmol/kg), cyclohexene oxide (4.9 mmol/kg) and acrylamide (3.5 mmol/kg) administered intraperitoneally to rats caused a rapid decrease in the endogenous excretion of both zinc and reduced glutathione into bile. This depression probably reflects the conjugation of the aforementioned substances to glutathione in the liver cells. These results indicate that zinc is transferred from liver to bile by glutathione dependent process and most likely as zinc-glutathione complexes.

Animals↗

Influence of certain chelating agents on egress of cadmium from cultured epithelial cells containing high amounts of metallothionein: a screening of Cd-releasing and toxic effects.

Cells cultures have been used to study the effect of 6 different metal chelating compounds on the efflux of Cadmium (Cd) from the cells and on cell growth. The cells had previously been made resistant to high levels of Cd (100 mumol/1) in the medium. They contain large amounts of intracellular Cd (40-50 nmol Cd/mg cell protein), the main part of which is bound to cytoplasmic metallothionein. Among the different monothiol and dithiol compounds tested are some old, well-known and to some extent therapeutically tried substances, i.e. 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol (BAL), D-penicillamine (PA), N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (NAPA) and some newer metal chelators, i.e. 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulphonate (BAL-Sulph), mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) and meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA). The three latter ones all showed better effect on the egress of Cd than PA and NAPA and less toxic effect than BAL on an equimolar basis. All the agents tested increased the efflux of Cd from metallothionein-containing cell cultures which seem to be justified as a test system for primary screening of effect and toxicity of new chelators.

Cadmium↗

Argyria-tissue deposition of silver as selenide.

Generalized argyria was precipitated in a patient by treating gingival erosions with a solution of silver nitrate for several months. High silver concentrations were measured in skin biopsies. treatment with penicillamine did not increase the urinary silver excretion, indicating that silver is deposited in tissues in a chemically stable and apparently inert form. Electron microscopy showed that in the kidney, silver was deposited mainly in the basal membranes as electron-dense particles. These particles were studied by using X-ray emission spectrometry and electron diffraction. the particles consisted of Ag2Se in the low temperature orthorhombic alfaform. The lattice parameters are: a = 0.433 nm, b = 0.693 nm and c = 0.784 nm. This selenide complex seems to be remarkably non-toxic, since the renal function of the patient was unaffected and only negligible reactive changes were observed in kidney biopsies.

Argyria↗

The effect of immediate and delayed treatment with 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulphonate on the distribution and toxicity of inorganic mercury in mice and in foetal and adult rats.

The distribution and excretion of mercury were studied in mice and rats given a single injection of HgCl2 combined with chelation treatment. BAL-sulph (2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulphonate) given intravenously (500 mumol SH/kg) to mice 24 hrs after the mercury injection (2.0 mumol Hg/kg) reduced the kidney Hg-level significantly, while NAPA (N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine) and BAL (2,3-dimercaptopropanol) did not. Severe kidney damage with oliguria was observed in pregnant as well as in non-pregnant rats after injection of 5 mumol/kg of HgCl2. The gross pathological changes could be avoided with immediate treatment with BAL-sulph (500 mumol SH/kg), and such treatment protect against the oliguric reaction. Treatment delayed for 24 hrs reduced the renal Hg-levels significantly, but was ineffective in preventing the kidney damage. This indicates that irreversible changes might have occurred in kidneys cells at this time. The Hg-levels in the brain were either unchanged or lowered in animals given BAL-sulph treatment. BAL-sulph is supposed to act by chelation Hg++, particularly in the extracellular space. The complexes formed appears to be rapidly excreted by healthy kidneys. Mercury poisoning with severe renal damage is, however, associated with a block in urinary Hg-excretion. The poisoned animals responded on the BAL-sulph treatment with a substantial raise of faecal mercury excretion.

Animals↗

Fate of the gold and the thiomalate part after intramuscular administration of aurothiomalate to mice.

Double isotope-labelled aurothiomalate (195Au-14C-thiomalate) has been administered to mice, and the excretory fate and tissue distribution have been studied. The results show that the gold and the thiomalate separate in vivo resulting in protein-bound gold and release of free thiomalate. About half of this thiol is excreted in the urine during the first day, and the remaining half is bound to tissue membranes and cells. Although thiomalate penetrates cellular membranes slowly in vitro. the compound is found in all organs, mostly in the liver and the kidneys, after administration of aurothiomalate. Separation of the gold moiety from its thiol carrier also takes place in man. This explains the finding of free thiomalate in the urine of patients receiving aurothiomalate intramuscularly. As thiomalate has now been shown to possess penicillamine-like biological activities it is suggested that at least part of the antirheumatic effects of aurothiomalate may be due to the thiol carrier being released in the body.

Animals↗

The effect of penicillamine and 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid on urinary excretion and tissue distribution of gold.

In order to study interactions in vivo between Au+ and SH-containing agents, groups of mice were given 35 mumol/kg of radiolabelled [195Au] thiomalate (Myocrisin) intramuscularly. The administration of Myocrisin is known to result in protein-bound gold and free thiomalate (mercaptosuccinate). High doses of dimercaptosuccinate (1 mmol/kg daily) increased the urinary excretion of radiolabelled gold [195Au] for several days. Treatment for 7 days with 1 mmol/kg of penicillamine or dimercaptosuccinate reduced the blood and kidney levels of gold to 30--50% of the controls. The oral administration of penicillamine in high doses, 1--10 mmol/kg, increased significantly the urinary excretion of [195Au] the first day after the Myocrisin injection, but on the subsequent days the radio-metal excretion was unaffected by the treatment. A lower dose level of penicillamine (0.3 mmol/kg daily) gave rise to only a small and insignificant increase in the urinary excretion of gold. The present results indicate that penicillamine at low clinical doses is an inefficient chelator of gold, while high doses (presumably comparable to about 1 200 mg daily in humans) may mobilize certain amounts of the metal deposits.

Animals↗

Increased brain uptake of copper and zinc in mice caused by diethyldithiocarbamate.

Mice given 64CuCl2 and 65ZnCl2 (10 mumol/kg) were treated with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (0.5 mmol/kg). The treatment increased the brain level of radioactive copper five-fold and that of radioactive zinc three-fold. Such redistribution of metal ions may be explained from the formation of lipophilic metal chelates. The increased brain levels may involve neurotoxic effects.

Animals↗

Gold and thiol compounds in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: excretory fate and tissue distribution of thiomalate in relation to gold after administration of myocrisin (auro-thiomalate).

Double isotope-labelled auro thiomalate (Au195-C14-thiomalate) has been administered to mice and rats, and the excretory fate and tissue distribution have been studied. The results show that the gold and the thiomalate separate in vivo resulting in protein-bound gold and release of free thiomalate. About half of this thiol is excreted in the urine during the first day and the remaining half is taken up by the tissues. Thiomalate penetrates cellular membranes poorly, but is able to interact slowly with proteins (mixed disulphide formation). Part of the thiomalate which remains in the body is membrane bound. In contrast to penicillamine little thiomalate remains in circulation a few hours after administration. Gas chromatography--mass spectrometry has been used to search for the presence of free thiomalate in rheumatoid arthritis patients on Myocrisin (auro thiomalate) therapy. Thiomalate was found in their urine, but not in serum and synovial fluid 20 hours after administration. As thiomalate is released in the body after administration of Myocrisin. the question arises whether this thiol, like penicillamine, may have a beneficial effect in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Animals↗