US EPA

3994667 

Technical Report 

Effect of Various Electrolytes Upon Thallium Intoxication 

Selye, H; Cantin, M; Gentile, G 

1962 

NIOSH/00132322 

4 

1-7 

The effects of the oral administration of calcium-acetate (543908) or sodium phosphates upon thallium (7440280) intoxication were examined. Female Sprague-Dawley-rats were administered doses of electrolytes in concentrations of 2 millimoles twice daily by stomach tube. On day 4, thallium-acetate (2570630) was administered subcutaneously. On day 9 the experiment ended and the degree of the resulting nephrocalcinosis was evaluated. In groups receiving sodium phosphates, pronounced renal hypertrophy occurred. The distribution of the calcium deposits was different when monobasic sodium-phosphate (7558807) was administered compared to the distribution when dibasic sodium-phosphate (7558794) was given. The former produced only a single clearly delimited white line of calcium deposition along the inner margin of the corticomedullary junction zone while the latter caused the appearance of two distinct lines. The kidneys of the sodium phosphate dibasic treated rats exhibited occasional irregular spots of calcification throughout the entire renal parenchyma. Minor degrees of calcification were observed in animals treated with sodium phosphate. In controls and animals treated with calcium-acetate or sodium-chloride (7647145) there was no calcification. The authors conclude that thallium-acetate given in doses that cause little renal damage and no nephrocalcinosis induces intense calcification if sodium phosphates are administered concurrently.