US EPA

1784943 

Technical Report 

The Use Of 2,3 Dimercaptopropane Sodium Sulfonate (DMPS) In Mercury Chelation Therapy 

Battistone, GC; Miller, RA; Rubin, M 

1977 

NIOSH/00156573 

Brown 

221-224 

The compound 2,3-dimercaptopropane-sodium-sulfonate (4076022) (DMPS) was compared with British-anti-Lewisite (59529) (BAL), N-acetyl-penicillamine (15537710) (APA), and calcium-ethylenediaminetetraacetic-acid (62339) (CaEDTA) for its ability to induce the excretion of mercury (7439976) inhaled by animals. Adult male white-rats were exposed to 6 milligrams of mercury vapor over a 2 hour period. Total urinary and fecal mercury were monitored for 12 and 7 days after exposure, respectively. Three days after exposure, animals were treated with 7.5, 15, and 30 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) per day DMPS or APA intramuscularly for 3 days. Some rats received CaEDTA at 20mg/kg/day according to the same schedule as the other drugs. Animals were sacrificed 12 days after mercury inhalation and assayed for total kidney mercury. Some animals were sacrificed 24 hours after exposure to assay for total mercury body burden. The total mercury content of tissues, urine, and feces in rats sacrificed 24 hours after mercury inhalation was 57 micrograms. At all doses, DMPS treatment resulted in marked enhancement of urinary, but not fecal, mercury excretion. BAL and APA provided some enhancement in urinary mercury excretion. There was no increase in urinary mercury excretion as a result of CaEDTA treatment. At sacrifice, total kidney mercury values showed significant reductions below control values in rats given DMPS but not those given BAL, APA, and CaEDTA. The authors conclude that treatment of mercury exposed rats with DMPS significantly reduces kidney mercury and sharply increases urinary mercury excretion. 

DCN-144084; Clinical diagnosis; Toxic effects; Trace metals; Quantitative analysis; Trace analysis; Clinical symptoms; Toxic materials; Laboratory animals; Chemical deposition; Histology; Chemical analysis