Abstract
The various chemical forms of mercaptoethylamine (MEA) and 1-cysteine and their content in rat thymus, spleen and liver have been determined during the first 3 hr after intraperitoneal (i.p.) drug administration at radioprotective doses. The determinations were made by quantitative spectrophotometric methods. The protectors studied accumulate in the organs mainly as free thiol. The amount of disulfides found was negligible and the mixed disulfides of MEA and 1-cysteine with cellular proteins were not determined because the methods used were not sufficiently sensitive. The maximum concentration of the protectors in tissues is reached 15–30 min after their i.p. administration. Comparison with previously published results on the effect of sulfhydryl compounds on nucleic acid metabolism indicates that the maximum radioprotective and biochemical effectiveness of the thiols coincides with their maximum concentration in tissues after i.p. administration. The possible biochemical mechanisms of radioprotective action of aminothiols are discussed.
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