Studies on the mechanism of protection by aurintricarboxylic acid in beryllium poisoning. IV. Comparative effects of related compounds on survival of Be-poisoned animals and on distribution of Be

Abstract

The ability of an injection of either sulfosalicylic acid or gentisic acid, given 1 hr. before or after beryllium, to prevent death of mice injected with the LD 95 of BeSO 4 is lost when these compounds are injected 4 hr. after or 2 hr. before the Be. Salicylic acid loses its effectiveness when given about 8 hr. before or after Be. Aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA) loses effectiveness when given between 10 and 16 hr. after Be and gradually loses protective ability when given more than 1 day before Be. When small, partially effective doses were compared on a molar basis, ATA was much more effective in protecting Be-poisoned mice than either salicylic acid or sulfosalicylic acid. ATA was equally effective injected 5 min. or 1 hr. after the Be, while small doses of salicylic acid and especially of sulfosalicylic acid were less effective given at 1 hr. In comparison to ATA, which has been shown to have no effect on the distribution of Be that might explain its therapeutic effect in Be-poisoned mice, salicylic and sulfosalicylic acids injected 1 hr. after radioberyllium caused a marked increase in Be 7 excretion and a reduction in the over-all retention of Be 7. Since sulfosalicylic acid given 4 hr. after the Be still causes this increase in excretion but does not prevent the death of the mice, the increase in Be excretion is not thought to be responsible for protecting the animals treated at 1 hr. Inactivation of Be by chelation in situ in critical tissues appears to be the important factor in preventing death of mice acutely poisoned with Be.