Protection by spironolactone and different antidotes against acute organic mercury poisoning of rats.

Abstract

Investigations carried out at our laboratory have shown that BAL (dimercaptopropanol) can be used, with some restrictions, in the treatment of organic mercury poisoning. Depending on the radical of the poison, the antidote has a variable effect although it has no therapeutic use at all in acute intoxication with methoxy-ethyl-mercury-chloride (MEMC). Similarly, neither d-penicillamine, nor sodium-formaldehyde-sulfoxylate proved to be effective antidotes, but treatment with estrogenic hormone could protect the renal failure induced by MEMC. The life-saving effect of spironolactone (the hormonally inactive steroid) was estimated against acute poisoning induced by six different organic mercury compounds on rats. Spironolactone proved to be effective in the case of MEMC when administered prior to poisoning.