COPPER-3,5-DIISOPROPYLSALICYLATE, IRON-3,5-DIISOPROPYLSALICYLATE, MANGANESE-3,5-DIISOPROPYLSALICYLATE AND ZINC-3,5-DIISOPROPYLSALICYLATE COMPLEXES INCREASE SURVIVAL OF GAMMA-IRRADIATED MICE

Eighty mumol/kg of copper(II)2(3,5-diisopropylsalicylate)4(H2O)2 [Cu(I I)2(3,5-DIPS)4] given subcutaneously (sc) to female mice 24 h before l ethal (LD100/30) irradiation was found to allow 58% survival. Subseque nt studies using LD50/30 irradiations revealed that 80 or 92% survival was obtained in female or male mice, respectively, when 20 mumol/kg w as given 3 h before irradiation; 88-92% survival was achieved in femal e mice treated with 2.5, 5, or 10 mumol/kg 3 h after irradiation; and 75 or 95% of the male mice survived when they had been given 50 mumol/ kg orally 24 or 4 h, respectively, before irradiation. Using LD50/30 i rradiations it was also found that administration of 280 mumol of Fe(I II)-(3,5-DIPS)3(H2O)/kg led to 84% survival in male mice; 80 mumol of Mn(II)-(3,5-DIPS)2(H2O)/kg allowed 96 or 100% survival in male or fema le mice, respectively; and 60 mumol Zn(II)-(3,5-DIPS)2/kg achieved 95% survival in male mice. In addition, all of these complexes were found to have anti-convulsant activities suggesting possible protection aga inst radiation-induced seizures. It is concluded that these essential metalloelement complexes have radiation-protection and radiation-recov ery activities and that their use represents a physiological approach to preventing or perhaps predominantly facilitating recovery from radi ation injury.